There's a tabletop game for everyone, even those of us who want to combine regency romance with sentai superhero teams. Join Her Majesty's Prehistorian Praetorians as our prehistoric-themed sentai — you can thank Matt for that — takes its first steps into society by attending the grand opening of a new gallery in the museum. It goes about as well as you would expect from our creative crowd of players.

Liz is hosting this game as Master of Ceremonies, joined by the following gentlefolk:

• Dame Margaret Clytemnestra Marlborough, a not-so-famed paleontologist (Matthew Rossi)
• Ser Riley Mullabyaly, a military man through-and-through (Joe Perez)
• Diviner Haruka Hadagami, an astrologer who blurs the line between science and mysticism (Joan Albright)
• Bartholomew Culpepper, an associate professor of history at Magdalene University at Cambridge (Phil Ulrich)
• Lady Blossom Hephestia Bee, a student who's eager to pick up every drop of social gossip (Anne Stickney)

This is the first in a three-part game of Sentai & Sensibility by 9th Level Games. It uses the Polygon system in which each player uses a single die based on their class (or in this case, their station), and we found it a great deal of fun! Pick up a copy for yourself from 9th Level Games: https://9thlevel.com/products/sentai-sensibility

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this episode, we are joined by Phil “The goblin with the dumb name that you all love” Ulrich as we go in-depth on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the new Player’s Handbook. Also the trend of more open development by TTRPG game designers, what upcoming games we are looking forward to playing, and what we want from Wizards of the Coast’s upcoming virtual tabletop, Project Sigil.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we discuss the implications of WOTC’s new direction with feats, the new Dungeon Alchemist software for AI-powered dungeon building, and Journeys to the Radiant Citadel, an upcoming compilations of adventures written by BIPOC creators.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we discuss the streamlining of spell casting for monsters in D&D, the controversy surrounding upcoming Monsters of the Multiverse bestiary, and why players should start with character concept before they dive into classes and stats.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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We look back at TTRPGs in 2021 including major releases and indie ones as well. We also discuss the importance of Kickstarter, our favorite TTRPGs of the year, and highlights from our first year recording the podcast.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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We go behind the scenes of our just finished two-year Riatan D&D campaign to talk about how the game evolved over the course of the campaign. Matt talks about the pivot he had to make when the party decided to avoid the magical city he'd constructed, instead sending us off on an adventure with undead pirates. We also learn a little more about the stories we didn't explore and the characters we wish we'd seen more of.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In our interview with Wizard of the Coast's Senior Communication Manager Greg Tito we talk about growing up with D&D, how Critical Role has introduced new fans to the game, and the new release of The Wild Beyond The Witchlight as well as the upcoming Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Today we discuss the release of Fizban's Treasury of Dragons D&D sourcebook, TTRPG company Paizo recognizing its new employee union, and the start of Critical Role Campaign 3. We also explore best practices to setting expectations with your D&D group for a successful campaign aka session zero.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Today we discuss The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, WOTC's new Feywild adventure book; Call of Cthulhu and other brutal TTRPGs; and offer tips for DMs on handling flying players.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Matt Rossi, Joe Perez, and Liz Harper sit down with the Lead Designer behind the upcoming Avatar Legends tabletop role-playing game, Brendan Conway of Magpie Games. Based on both the popular Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra animated series, this game has quickly become the biggest RPG to be funded in the history of Kickstarter. Please note that we accidentally referred to one of the Avatar Legends designers as Clio Davis. Their actual name is Yeonsoo Julian Kim.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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We are excited to announce that we have just launched a brand new podcast. In this debut episode of the monthly Tavern Watch podcast Matt Rossi, Joe Perez, and Liz Harper make their introductions and delve into the focus of this new show: the wonderful world of table top role playing games. They will cover everything TTRPG related, from their on-going D&D play session podcasts to the trials and tribulations faced by both DMs and players to the latest news across a multitude of TTRPGs. Pull up a seat and join us!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this episode, we discuss the updated D&D rulebooks rolling out soon, the impact of the recent massive layoffs at Wizards of the Coast on both their own products and the larger industry, the role of AI in game development, and the importance of community trust for TTRPG companies to be successful.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this episode, we discuss the renaissance in TTRPGs since Wizards of the Coast alienated the community with last year’s pricing and royalty shenanigans. Creators are now going in new directions like Critical Role’s d12-based game Daggerheart, romance-driven TTRPGs, and Chaosium’s game design challenge that encourages creators to build new games they retain the rights to. Also, AI DMs. Because who wanted improv in their game sessions anyway?!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this episode recorded back in January 2023, we dive into the details of Wizard of the Coast’s controversial proposed update to its Open Gaming License that would allow it to control, prohibit, and seize the rights to third-party published content compatible with Dungeons & Dragons. Yep, the same content that has been fueling the game’s popularity over the last decade.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we discuss the recent One D&D playtest changes to Bards, Rangers, and Rogues, as well as the addition of rules for handling more social, less combat oriented campaigns. We also cover Vox Machina, the Critical Role Campaign 1 animated series that is debuting its second season in January and the Avatar TTRPG that is now shipping to Kickstarter backers.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we deep dive into One D&D, the upcoming massive update coming to our favorite RPG. We explore the changes to character backgrounds, feats, and more from the current playtests.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we sit down with Wizards of the Coast’s Greg Tito to talk about adding diverse voices to D&D in the new Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel book, the speedy pace of new D&D books, bringing D&D Beyond's digital toolset in-house, and how the upcoming D&D movie, Honor Amongst Thieves, seems to capture a true D&D experience.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this month's episode, we discuss how many games are getting delayed launches due to supply chain issues, a new Giant-themed subclass currently being play tested, and how a DM can alter combat encounters on the fly to keep their players engaged.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Our sentai is on the chase! As present-pilfering robotic spiders flee across the city, Her Majesty's Prehistorian Praetorians race to find the culprit and salvage the holiday season. But the Queen's Winter Gala is just around the corner, with a palace full of presents to be handed out... and it's sure to make a tempting target.

Liz is hosting this game as Master of Ceremonies, joined by the following gentlefolk:

• Dame Margaret Clytemnestra Marlborough, a not-so-famed paleontologist (Matthew Rossi)
• Ser Riley Mullabyaly, a military man through-and-through (Joe Perez)
• Diviner Haruka Hadagami, an astrologer who blurs the line between science and mysticism (Joan Albright)
• Bartholomew Culpepper, an associate professor of history at Magdalene University at Cambridge (Phil Ulrich)
• Lady Blossom Hephestia Bee, a student who's eager to pick up every drop of social gossip (Anne Stickney)

This is the second in a three-part game of Sentai & Sensibility by 9th Level Games. It uses the Polygon system in which each player uses a single die based on their class (or in this case, their station), and we found it a great deal of fun! Pick up a copy for yourself from 9th Level Games: https://9thlevel.com/products/sentai-sensibility

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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A threatening swarm of robots isn't enough to delay the Queen's Winter Gala, and it's up to our heroes to safeguard the Queen's perfectly packaged holiday gifts — and the festive fate of the winter season. Can they keep everyone safe and still make time for a spin around the dance floor? This year's Winter Gala is truly a can't miss event!

Liz is hosting this game as Master of Ceremonies, joined by the following gentlefolk:

• Dame Margaret Clytemnestra Marlborough, a not-so-famed paleontologist (Matthew Rossi)
• Ser Riley Mullabyaly, a military man through-and-through (Joe Perez)
• Diviner Haruka Hadagami, an astrologer who blurs the line between science and mysticism (Joan Albright)
• Bartholomew Culpepper, an associate professor of history at Magdalene University at Cambridge (Phil Ulrich)
• Lady Blossom Hephestia Bee, a student who's eager to pick up every drop of social gossip (Anne Stickney)

This is the last in our series of Sentai & Sensibility by 9th Level Games. It uses the Polygon system in which each player uses a single die based on their class (or in this case, their station), and we found it a great deal of fun! Pick up a copy for yourself from 9th Level Games: https://9thlevel.com/products/sentai-sensibility

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dead pilot (maybe), a crashing starship (definitely), and a tiny problem that's causing the dead to rise. (Does that mean the pilot is now... okay?) As they hurtle into the planet, our crew of adventurers has to figure out how to contain this unexpected threat before it can spread across the galaxy.

Fortunately we have a team who knows what it takes to survive (a lucky set of dice, of course). Join us as we try out the Starfinder 2e playtest with a rollicking adventure from GM Matthew Rossi, with players Joe Perez, Joan Albright, Chris Chesno, and Liz Harper! This is the first of a two-part game of Starfinder 2e, so you'll find out how our expedition ends quite soon.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Famed artificer Egan Bakker has invented a new weapon, and it's going to get him killed one day. As Bakker boards the luxurious Eberron Express, an unusual group or passengers joins him on the three-day route to Fairhaven... and because each of them have their own grudge against Bakker, the trip isn't likely to end well.

Join DM Elizabeth Harper on this trip across Eberron, with colorful group of characters:

• Nick Marino as Talis, a scholar that Bakker publicly humiliated, and neither of them have forgotten it.
• Phil Ulrich as Jindaar, who was Bakker's business partner until he was squeezed out of the business... just before Bakker made it big.
• Anne Stickney as Orchid, a mysterious figure who has recently been seen hanging off Bakker's arm.
• Joan Albright as Treya, Bakker's neglected wife who — despite Orchid's presence — still stands by his side.
• Matt Rossi as Kaltjarn, Egan Bakker's long lost heir, who has spent most of her life not knowing her father.
• Joe Perez as Cylyeira, who knew Bakker a long time ago, before he found success.

This is the first episode of a three-part D&D murder mystery called Murder on the Eberron Express, written by Orla ní Dhúill. You can buy this unconventional adventure on the DM's Guild to play it yourself! It includes pre-generated characters (though our group created their own) and requires very little prep, and the format is sure to keep players on their toes — we certainly had fun with it!

Note: this episode contains some NSFW language. Blame Matthew. 

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Our crew of seasoned spacefarers made it safely to the planet surface, so the hard part is over... right? All they have to do now is survive (which means not blowing themselves up), find a way home (with the nearest spaceport several solar systems away), and maybe thwart this strange new alien threat along the way. It's all the day in the life of an adventurer.

Join us as we wrap up our Starfinder 2e playtest game, run by GM Matthew Rossi with co-conspirators— ah, players Joe Perez, Joan Albright, Chris Chesno, and Liz Harper. We hope you enjoy the show!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Someone on this train killed Egan Bakker, and the passengers of the Eberron Express are determined to track them down... but is the killer right in front of them? We'll see how the party fares one roll for initiative later.

Join DM Elizabeth Harper on this trip across Eberron, with colorful group of characters:

• Nick Marino as Talis, a scholar that Bakker publicly humiliated, and neither of them have forgotten it.
• Phil Ulrich as Jindaar, who was Bakker's business partner until he was squeezed out of the business... just before Bakker made it big.
• Anne Stickney as Orchid, a mysterious figure who has recently been seen hanging off Bakker's arm.
• Joan Albright as Treya, Bakker's neglected wife who — despite Orchid's presence — still stands by his side.
• Matt Rossi as Kaltjarn, Egan Bakker's long lost heir, who has spent most of her life not knowing her father.
• Joe Perez as Cylyeira, who knew Bakker a long time ago, before he found success.

This is the second episode of a three-part D&D murder mystery called Murder on the Eberron Express, written by Orla ní Dhúill. You can buy this unconventional adventure on the DM's Guild to play it yourself! It includes pre-generated characters (though our group created their own) and requires very little prep, and the format is sure to keep players on their toes — we certainly had fun with it!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're playing a game of Rebel Scum, a game of anti-fascist space opera that seems a lot like Star Wars -- so of course we just used it to play in the Star Wars universe! When an overwhelmingly powerful fascist Empire threatens those who want to see a better future for those around them and for the rest of the galaxy, what do you do? You fight back, you fight hard, and you don't stop until you win.

Join GM Phil Ulrich as I take the crew of the Crew of the Furious Tooka through an adventure on the frontiers of civilized space to hunt down a missing union organizer and Rebellion contact. Here's our cast of characters:

• Chris as Varin Jayne (Rogue/Vanguard), a Corellian with a starship who maybe was in it just for profit to start with but maybe -- just maybe -- has a heart of gold buried down in there. If he sounds familiar to you, no he doesn't.
• Mitch as TB-WN2 (Robot/Fighter), a former assassin droid who has given up his life of killing for good. Instead, he brings a delightful accent, a calm demeanor, and a weird array of shapeshifting abilities to bear.
• Liz as Mia (Revolutionary/Expert), who is very definitely just an ordinary starship mechanic and definitely not a spy and elite hacker in the service of the Rebellion. Why would you even think that? You have some wild ideas, stranger.
• Joe as YHA-U, aka "Yeehaw" (Robot/Tank), a good-natured former mining droid who now fights to break the chains -- and necks -- of tyranny.
• Matt as The Orphan (Ronin/Fighter), a Wookiee and former Jedi Padawan who looks like he's been in a lot of fights and narrowly won them; he's a problem solver, as long as the problem can be solved with violence.

This is the first in a three-part game of Rebel Scum! Look for new episodes every Monday.

This game was played with the second edition of Rebel Scum from 9th Level Games, a game of laser swords, space combat, and fighting back against space fascists trying to put their boots on your collective necks. If you're interested in getting this easy-to-learn game for yourself -- it's powered by the Polymorph system much like our prior games of Pigeon's 11 and Sentai & Sensibility, meaning it's lightweight and narrative focused -- you can pick up the digital copy from 9th Level's itch.io page for the game, or in print (with free PDF!) directly from 9th Level Games.

The music in this podcast is "Fanfare for Space" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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In this week's Tavern Watch Podcast, we dig into the disaster of Diamond Comic Distributors, which filed for bankruptcy in January and is now trying to claim books in its inventory are its property, to be sold to pay off creditors. This includes comics and books it was holding on consignment, to distribute for companies that aren't paid until the books are sold in retail stores — and the loss could be crushing for small press publishers who could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of books. Green Ronin Publishing is crowdfunding to cover legal fees to fight the move, which it calls "a dire financial threat to our company." Let's hope small press can score a victory here.

In brighter news, we discuss the recent trend of "rules light" games, the delay to D&D's upcoming Eberron book, and Evil Hat continuing to work on a Tomb Raider-style game after parting ways with Crystal Dynamics. Add that to the list of games we're looking forward to playing (which is already pretty long).

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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n our third and final game of Legend in the Mist, our little group of friends may be on their way to becoming proper heroes as they track the undead that attacked their village back to its source. (To protect the village, but also to make sure one of their own doesn't turn into a zombie after being poisoned in the attack. One undead zombie was bad enough.) But the sunken, abandoned watchtower they find has secrets of its own. And, knowing their luck, these secrets will have teeth.

To see how this party of neophytes is faring, join GM Phil Ulrich along with our crew of would-be adventurers:

• Chris as Dunny, the local blacksmith, whose father's old sword may be more than it seems. He's been poisoned by the undead, and has to find a cure — but he's hung on this long without becoming a zombie of some kind himself, so it's probably fine.
• Nick as Frye, a hardworking cook at the local tavern, who dreams of becoming a great chef (but mostly finds himself working for ruthless overseers in the kitchen). Fortunately the rest of the group is so caught up in the adventure that they haven't noticed he has special powers of her own.
• Liz as Lyssa, who works at the ferry running people and cargo across the river, but thinks there has to be more to life than this. But after some run-ins with creatures of myth, the outside world is looking a little scary.

This is the last of a three-game series of Legend in the Mist, a game that's designed for fantasy storytelling that scales from our small town heroes to folk heroes of legend. It's a different flavor of fantasy TTRPG, with a vibe that feels quite like The Hobbit, where ordinary folk may find themselves in extraordinary adventures. It has a narrative-centric focus and flexible character creation so you can make the hero you want and play them the way you want. We enjoyed it a lot, and you can pick up a book for yourself from Son of Oak. And if you haven't, start by listening to the first episode and second episode before you tackle this one.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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Our group of hometown adventurers has set off and found that adventure isn't quite as exciting as the fairy tales make it seem. Even for a short trip to investigate the undead that ventured into their village, road is full of risks — for example, did you know a person could have the moldy status, because that's apparently a thing (and not a good one). But we're definitely not going to spiral out of control and worry about every fairy-tale-turned-reality that might jump out of the shadows and ambush us.

Definitely not.

To see how this party of neophytes is faring, join GM Phil Ulrich along with our crew of would-be adventurers:

• Chris as Dunny, the local blacksmith, whose father's old sword may be more than it seems. He's been poisoned by the undead, and has to find a cure.
• Nick as Frye, a hardworking cook at the local tavern, who dreams of becoming a great chef (but mostly finds himself working for ruthless overseers in the kitchen).
• Liz as Lyssa, who works at the ferry running people and cargo across the river, but thinks there has to be more to life than this.

This is the second of a three-game series of Legend in the Mist, which is designed for fantasy storytelling that scales from our small town heroes to folk heroes of legend. It's a different flavor of fantasy TTRPG, with a vibe that feels quite like The Hobbit, where ordinary folk may find themselves in extraordinary adventures. It has a narrative-centric focus and flexible character creation so you can make the hero you want and play them the way you want. We enjoyed it a lot, and you can pick up a book for yourself from Son of Oak. And if you haven't, you can listen to the first episode now!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're diving into a rustic fantasy of small town heroes (or heroes to be) in Legend in the Mist, where our humble villagers come together to deal with a single shambling undead that found its way to town. Where did it come from? Are there more of them? And is the right solution for the entire town to panic?

That last one really depends on who you ask, but join GM Phil Ulrich along with a group of wannabe heroes venturing out into the world, with:

• Chris as Dunny, the local blacksmith, whose father's old sword may be more than it seems.
• Nick as Frye, a hardworking cook at the local tavern, who dreams of becoming a great chef (but mostly finds himself working for ruthless overseers in the kitchen).
• Liz as Lyssa, who works at the ferry running people and cargo across the river, but thinks there has to be more to life than this.

Will they rise to the challenge, or fall to poisonous sludge and unlucky dice? You'll have to listen to find out!

This is the first of a three-game series of Legend in the Mist, which is designed for fantasy storytelling that scales from our small town heroes to folk heroes of legend. It's a different flavor of fantasy TTRPG, with a vibe that feels quite like The Hobbit, where ordinary folk may find themselves in extraordinary adventures. It has a narrative-centric focus and flexible character creation so you can make the hero you want and play them the way you want. We enjoyed it a lot, and you can pick up a book for yourself from Son of Oak.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime heist: to sneak into the biggest game convention around (celebrating much loved baking sim and MOBA Heroes of the Dough) and steal the esports trophy (which happens to be made of pretzels) from under everyone's noses (both literally and metaphorically). But that's not enough for our fine flock of feathered felons, who want to make off with the recipe for the limited edition pretzels that conventioneers are gobbling down, turning one heist into two heists. (Trust me, it all makes sense in context. Well, it all mostly makes sense in context.)

Join GM Liz Harper and a cast made up of Blizzard Watch's bird alter egos for our last game of Pigeon's 11! Here are our players:

• Phil Ulrich as Frankie Two-Talons, a boat-tailed grackle.
• Joan Albright as Professor Beakley, an African gray parrot.
• Eric O'Day as Thurston Owl III, a barn owl.
• Matt Rossi as Drom, an emu.
• Joe Perez as Bennie the Blast, a white-throated sparrow.
• Anne Stickney as Cecilia Cabana Banana Von ChiChi (Cece for short), a pigeon disguised as a peacock.

This adventure is just as wacky as it sounds. So join our crew of birds quest for pretzels, cause chaos, and see how many twists they can pull out of the biggest pretzel heist of their lives.

This is the final game in a three-part series of Pigeon's 11 by 9th Level Games. It uses the Polymorph system for a game that's straightforward, narrative focused, and rewards you for rolling a one (to Matt's unending surprise). This is the second Polymorph game we've played — check out our game of Sentai & Sensibility if you want to see more of the system in action — and we've really enjoyed it!

Intro music for this episode is "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This week we're bringing you another game Pigeon's 11, in which our feathered cast of criminals dives into the world of esports and culinary delights at MetzlCon. The plan: to steal the coveted pretzel trophy in the middle of a packed house of gamers and amateur chefs. It may be the biggest gaming convention of the year, but our pigeons only have eyes for the pretzels. (Well, most of them anyway.)

Join GM Liz Harper and a cast made up of Blizzard Watch's bird alter egos:

• Phil Ulrich as Frankie Two-Talons, a boat-tailed grackle.
• Joan Albright as Professor Beakley, an African gray parrot.
• Eric O'Day as Thurston Owl III, a barn owl.
• Matt Rossi as Drom, an emu.
• Joe Perez as Bennie the Blast, a white-throated sparrow.
• Anne Stickney as Cecilia Cabana Banana Von ChiChi (Cece for short), a pigeon disguised as a peacock.

And yes, this adventure is just as wacky as it sounds. So join our crew of birds as struggle through the game convention crowd to see that pretzel trophy first hand and pick out the only one on the convention floor who has a gluten allergy.

This is the second game in a three-part series of Pigeon's 11 by 9th Level Games. It uses the Polymorph system for a game that's straightforward, narrative focused, and rewards you for rolling a one. This is the second Polymorph game we've played — check out our game of Sentai & Sensibility if you want to see more of the system in action — and we've really enjoyed it!

Intro music for this episode is "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're playing Pigeon's 11, an adventure where our fine flock of felonious fowl are getting ready for the heist of a lifetime. (Spoiler: it involves a lot of baked goods and bread puns.) Join GM Liz Harper and a cast made up of Blizzard Watch's bird alter egos:

• Phil Ulrich as Frankie Two-Talons, a boat-tailed grackle.
• Joan Albright as Professor Beakley, an African gray parrot.
• Eric O'Day as Thurston Owl III, a barn owl.
• Matt Rossi as Drom, an emu.
• Joe Perez as Bennie the Blast, a white-throated sparrow.
• Anne Stickney as Cecilia Cabana Banana Von ChiChi (Cece for short), a pigeon disguised as a peacock.

And yes, this adventure is just as wacky as it sounds. So join our crew of birds as they plan their big score, start a few fights, and chase down some baked goods.

This is the first in a three-part series of Pigeon's 11 by 9th Level Games. It uses the polymorph system for a game that's straightforward, narrative focused, and rewards you for rolling a one. This is the second polymorph game we've played — check out our game of Sentai & Sensibility if you want to see more of the system in action — and we've really enjoyed it!

Intro music for this episode is "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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While there are still plenty of crunchy tabletop games out there, lately we're playing a lot of shorter TTRPGs that lean into narrative elements — and are easier to schedule than long form campaigns. We talk about our recent Pigeon's 11 game, the cozy fantasy of Legend in the Mist, and the Nebula-nominated Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast. Also, we're apparently going back to Eberron this year in a surprise D&D book that wasn't part of the original 2025 release slate.

Plus the speedy demise of Sigil, Wizards of the Coast's Unreal-based VTT that launched and laid off its staff within a month. Yikes.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a tough day for the employees of Triangle Agency, but our skilled Agents are always ready to beat back any challenge — even when that challenge is a mass of anomalous electrical wires intent on their deaths! But don't worry about them, because Triangle Agency is always here to help Agents who help themselves. They've really earned their paychecks today! (At least those of them who get paid.)

In this episode, GM Phil Ulrich does his very best to get all of our Agents killed (or at least rack up some demerits). But if you want to know how it goes, you'll have to listen to the episode yourself.

This is the last episode of a three-part series in which we play Triangle Agency, an extremely triangular TTRPG by Haunted Table Games. If you enjoyed this game, you can pick up your own copy from Haunted Table Games or Modiphius. We welcome your future contributions to Triangle Agency!

Intro music for this game is Business Training Background Music By Alec Koff. What a great productivity-boosting tune!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Triangle Agency's agents are on the case — with a little help from corporate HQ, of course! Our highly skilled team of experts is in the process of tracking down a dangerous anomaly, but don't you worry (or you might become a loose end we have to deal with).

In this episode, GM Phil Ulrich helps the Agency's best make some art, earn the high score in their favorite video game, and untangle some extremely dangerous wires. It's all in a day's work for the employees of Triangle Agency!

This is the second of a three-part series in which we play Triangle Agency, an extremely triangular TTRPG by Haunted Table Games. (Here's the first episode if you haven't listened to it.) If you enjoyed this game, you can pick up your own copy from Haunted Table Games or Modiphius. We welcome your future contributions to Triangle Agency!

Intro music for this episode is Inspired by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to beautiful Ternion City, home of the Triangle Agency. In our corporate headquarters, agents are hard at work — right now! — to preserve reality. You like reality, don't you? Of course you do. And your friends at Triangle Agency are here to keep the reality you love safe... preferably without you noticing any of those pesky breaks in reality in the first place! What breaks in reality? We certainly haven't seen any!

GM Phil Ulrich helps the Agency's latest employees with their new field assignment: to investigate a string of strangely similar and equally unexplained deaths. Sounds like a potential break in reality to us!

This is the first of a three-part series in which we play Triangle Agency, an extremely triangular TTRPG by Haunted Table Games. If you enjoyed this game, you can pick up your own copy from Haunted Table Games or Modiphius. We welcome your future contributions to Triangle Agency!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Intro music for this game is Inspired by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we continue our adventure of Daggerheart, as our crew becomes the first to enter the towering spire that is the Motherboard. While it's forbidden by the church, delving into these untouched halls may be the only way to save the Motherboard — and perhaps the entire Echo Vale. Let's see how it goes, shall we?

Join GM Liz Harper as I attempt to guide a motley crew of adventurers through the Echo Vale! Here's our cast of characters:

• Joan as Lithyen of Redcanyon (Rogue), a faun who lost her family at the hands of cultists obsessed with technology. She now travels alongside those who rescued her.
• Matt as Ishvit (Brawler playtest), a young giant, raised in isolated ruins. She's looking for her way in the world after losing her dwarven foster family.
• Nick as Tavin (Seraph), a human priest who has pledged himself to the Motherboard, but his faith was shaken when he met a supposed worshipper who used the faith to steal and kill.
• Phil as Laplace Cadmus (Warlock playtest), an elf who narrowly survived an attack on his group of pilgrims with the help of a mysterious voice in the network (and also Tavin).

This is the last in a three-part game of a Daggerheart game in the Motherboard setting! If you haven't, start by listening to the first episode and second episode of this game. Look for new episodes every Monday — next week we'll be covering the latest tabletop news, and then we'll be starting another game!

Daggerheart is the latest game from Darrington Press and the team at Critical Role — we're all still learning the rules of this game, so please apologize our mistakes! Increasing the chaos, two of our party were trying out playtest classes: Brawler for Matt and Warlock for Phil. You can find details on these classes (and more playtest content) on Daggerheart'swebsite. If you want to follow along and/or see where we went wrong, you can read all of the rules in the completely free SRD. The print book is sold out (though check with your FLGS if you're interested in a copy), but if you enjoyed our game you can buy Daggerheart digital copies from Demiplane and DriveThruRPG.

This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This month on Tavern Watch, we discuss the messy release of D&D's 2024 edition, which was staggered out into 2025... and seems to have lost some hype in the process. But Wizards of the Coast could turn things around, with an upcoming live action D&D show on Netflix and two new Forgotten Realms books coming out late this year. Plus all the games we're looking forward to, in which Liz could probably spend the entire show talking about Magpie's Fallen London Kickstarter (but doesn't).

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Eberron Express is about to pull into the station, and when it does Egan Bakker's killer could vanish forever. Can the passengers solve the mystery before time runs out... and do they even want to?

Join DM Elizabeth Harper on this trip across Eberron, with colorful group of characters:

• Nick Marino as Talis, a scholar that Bakker publicly humiliated, and neither of them have forgotten it.
• Phil Ulrich as Jindaar, who was Bakker's business partner until he was squeezed out of the business... just before Bakker made it big.
• Anne Stickney as Orchid, a mysterious figure who has recently been seen hanging off Bakker's arm.
• Joan Albright as Treya, Bakker's neglected wife who — despite Orchid's presence — still stands by his side.
• Matt Rossi as Kaltjarn, Egan Bakker's long lost heir, who has spent most of her life not knowing her father.
• Joe Perez as Cylyeira, who knew Bakker a long time ago, before he found success.

This is the last episode of a three-part D&D murder mystery called Murder on the Eberron Express, written by Orla ní Dhúill. You can buy this unconventional adventure on the DM's Guild to play it yourself! It includes pre-generated characters (though our group created their own) and requires very little prep, and the format is sure to keep players on their toes — we certainly had fun with it!

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This week we continue our adventure of Daggerheart, as our crew walks away from the settlement surrounding the Motherboard and into a not entirely unexpected ambush. Or maybe it's a reverse ambush? Well, you'll have to listen to see all of that works out, as our party searches for a way into the hidden heart of the Motherboard herself.

Join GM Liz Harper as I attempt to guide a motley crew of adventurers through this adventure! Here's our cast of characters:

• Joan as Lithyen of Redcanyon (Rogue), a faun who lost her family at the hands of cultists obsessed with technology. She now travels alongside those who rescued her.
• Matt as Ishvit (Brawler playtest), a young giant, raised in isolated ruins. She's looking for her way in the world after losing her dwarven foster family.
• Nick as Tavin (Seraph), a human priest who has pledged himself to the Motherboard, but his faith was shaken when he met a supposed worshipper who used the faith to steal and kill.
• Phil as Laplace Cadmus (Warlock playtest), an elf who narrowly survived an attack on his group of pilgrims with the help of a mysterious voice in the network (and also Tavin).

This is the second in a three-part game of a Daggerheart game in the Motherboard setting! If you haven't, start by listening to the first episode of this game. Look for new episodes every Monday.

Daggerheart is the latest game from Darrington Press and the team at Critical Role — we're all still learning the rules of this game, so please apologize our mistakes! Increasing the chaos, two of our party were trying out playtest classes: Brawler for Matt and Warlock for Phil. You can find details on these classes (and more playtest content) on Daggerheart'swebsite. If you want to follow along and/or see where we went wrong, you can read all of the rules in the completely free SRD. The print book is sold out (though check with your FLGS if you're interested in a copy), but if you enjoyed our game you can buy Daggerheart digital copies from Demiplane and DriveThruRPG.

This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're playing a game of Daggerheart, largely because I was enchanted by the Motherboard setting in the book — a funny turn of phrase, since the setting has no magic! In the Echo Vale, civilization has been reborn in the ruins of the old world, repurposing the technology of people long gone. But the robotic creatures roaming the valley have been stirred into a wild fury, and the Prophet of the Motherboard thinks our party may be able to help.

Join GM Liz Harper as I attempt to guide a motley crew of adventurers through this adventure! Here's our cast of characters:

• Joan as Lithyen of Redcanyon (Rogue), a faun who lost her family at the hands of cultists obsessed with technology. She now travels alongside those who rescued her.
• Matt as Ishvit (Brawler playtest), a young giant, raised in isolated ruins. She's looking for her way in the world after losing her dwarven foster family.
• Nick as Tavin (Seraph), a human priest who has pledged himself to the Motherboard, but his faith was shaken when he met a supposed worshipper who used the faith to steal and kill.
• Phil as Laplace Cadmus (Warlock playtest), an elf who narrowly survived an attack on his group of pilgrims with the help of a mysterious voice in the network (and also Tavin).

This is the first in a three-part game of Daggerheart! Look for new episodes every Monday.

Daggerheart is the latest game from Darrington Press and the team at Critical Role — we're all still learning the rules of this game, so please apologize our mistakes! Increasing the chaos, two of our party were trying out playtest classes: Brawler for Matt and Warlock for Phil. You can find details on these classes (and more playtest content) on Daggerheart'swebsite. If you want to follow along and/or see where we went wrong, you can read all of the rules in the completely free SRD. The print book is sold out (though check with your FLGS if you're interested in a copy), but if you enjoyed our game you can buy Daggerheart digital copies from Demiplane and DriveThruRPG.

This product includes materials from the Daggerheart System Reference Document 1.0, © Critical Role, LLC. under the terms of the Darrington Press Community Gaming (DPCGL) License. More information can be found at https://www.daggerheart.com. There are no previous modifications by others.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a new week of drama in the TTRPG community, and we're here to dig into the latest news. We talk about the controversy surrounding the game Rebel Scum, a Star Wars-alike that was recently removed from DriveThruRPG after complaints about the game's political messaging. Surprise: Star Wars itself is pretty political, and the game takes it from there in what it calls an "antifascist space opera." (We may be checking the game out ourselves soon!) In other gaming news, Darrington Press continues to make waves by adding both Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford to the staff after both left Wizards of the Coast earlier this year. Perkins will serve as the company's Creative Director and Crawford as Game Director, and we may start to see their influence on the continuing development of just-released Daggerheart or new games.

And Daggerheart is certainly continuing to grow: while no new books have been announced, there are four classes, six ancestries, and six backgrounds currently in playtesting, suggesting the team isn't slowing down. But D&D has been releasing a lot of play testing content recently, too, and we discussed seven Arcana-focused subclasses you can currently find as Unearthed Arcana (but I'm still quietly waiting for the revised Eberron book coming out in August). Starfinder 2e is also getting closer to launch, with its tech class playtest wrapping up before the full book comes out at the end of July. Plus, Final Fantasy becomes the best selling Magic: The Gathering set of all time, some of the great 5e compatible games you can play (including some available directly on D&D Beyond), and some great features in the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide from Kobold Press.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This week on Masks, with the tip from Perseus Pyrite, the Mavericks are hot on the tail of -- presumably -- Silver Age villain Mirror Master, back and probably up to no good. But why did Mirror Master want Pyrite's shield, rumored to be able to open portals in time and space? Is he truly operating on his own? Is the past ever truly buried and behind us? Our teenage powerhouses are about to find out those answers -- for better or worse -- in an encounter that will test their mettle as heroes... and as a team. If you like Young Justice, Young Avengers, and Teen Titans, you'll probably like this game.

GM Phil Ulrich helps our young heroes find their footing in Halcyon City, as the newly named superhero team The Mavericks takes on an old threat with mysterious means and motives. Here's our team:

• Joan as Vida, aka Little Marvel (Beacon). At just five inches tall, you could miss Vida entirely (or only see her service dog Lobo), but she's determined to prove that she can be a hero despite her size.
• Joe as Alex and T.L.O.N., aka Talons (The Host/ed). After a lab accident, Alex found themself merged with T.L.O.N., the Tailored Living Organism Neuropathic-Connection. Living with T.L.O.N. is sometimes complicated, but Alex is committed to using his new powers to help others.
• Matt as Arvana, aka Shrike (Scion). The daughter of interdimensional conqueror Nabasu the Annihilation, Shrike led her father's armies to earth. But, impressed by the heroes of Halcyon City, she decided work with these heroes and turn against Nabasu.
• Liz as Charlie, aka Jade X (Delinquent). Charlie has a habit of getting into (and usually out of) trouble using her power to create illusions. But when she finally got caught, one of the agents of A.E.G.I.S. saw her potential and assigned her to a team of young heroes for training.

This is the third in a three-part game of Masks: A New Generation by Magpie Games. Be sure to listen to the first episodeand the second episode if you haven't yet! If you like our game, you can pick it up for yourself from Magpie or DriveThruRPG. It's a Powered by the Apocalypse game, so characters are based on playbooks, and there are some great fan-made playbooks that expand on the official options. Joe played with a custom playbook called The Host/ed, which you can find here if you're interested.

Music for this game is "Hero Stuff," written and performed by Joseph Perez/Mad Shaman Studios. 

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This week on Masks, our new superhero team comes together to defeat a new threat: paralyzing hero worship as they meet famed Silver Age hero Perseus Pyrite. Could the team be on the trail of a Silver Age villain come back to haunt the city? It's time to make plans (and maybe make friends). If you like Young Justice, Young Avengers, and Teen Titans, you'll probably like this game.

GM Phil Ulrich helps our young heroes find their footing in Halcyon City, as the newly named superhero team The Mavericks takes on a new (or possibly old) threat. Here's our team:

• Joan as Vida, aka Little Marvel (Beacon). At just five inches tall, you could miss Vida entirely (or only see her service dog Lobo), but she's determined to prove that she can be a hero despite her size.
• Joe as Alex and T.L.O.N., aka Talons (The Host/ed). After a lab accident, Alex found themself merged with T.L.O.N., the Tailored Living Organism Neuropathic-Connection. Living with T.L.O.N. is sometimes complicated, but Alex is committed to using his new powers to help others.
• Matt as Arvana, aka Shrike (Scion). The daughter of interdimensional conqueror Nabasu the Annihilation, Shrike led her father's armies to earth. But, impressed by the heroes of Halcyon City, she decided work with these heroes and turn against Nabasu.
• Liz as Charlie, aka Jade X (Delinquent). Charlie has a habit of getting into (and usually out of) trouble using her power to create illusions. But when she finally got caught, one of the agents of A.E.G.I.S. saw her potential and assigned her to a team of young heroes for training.

This is the second in a three-part game of Masks: A New Generation by Magpie Games. Be sure to listen to the first episode if you haven't yet! If you like our game, you can pick it up for yourself from Magpie or DriveThruRPG. It's a Powered by the Apocalypse game, so characters are based on playbooks, and there are some great fan-made playbooks that expand on the official options. Joe played with a custom playbook called The Host/ed, which you can find here if you're interested.

Music for this game is "Hero Stuff," written and performed by Joseph Perez/Mad Shaman Studios. (Hey! We know that guy!)

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for some superhero action as the team dives into Masks, where we find out just how tough it is to pull a superhero team together. (The name. You've gotta have a name.) If you like Young Justice, Young Avengers, and Teen Titans, you'll probably like this game. (And I happen to think we came up with a pretty good superhero group.)

GM Phil Ulrich helps our young heroes find their footing in Halcyon City, with a crew of misfits (and maybe heroes?). Here's our team:

• Joan as Vida, aka Little Marvel (Beacon). At just five inches tall, you could miss Vida entirely (or only see her service dog Lobo), but she's determined to prove that she can be a hero despite her size.
• Joe as Alex and T.L.O.N., aka Talons (The Host/ed). After a lab accident, Alex found themself merged with T.L.O.N., the Tailored Living Organism Neuropathic-Connection. Living with T.L.O.N. is sometimes complicated, but Alex is committed to using his new powers to help others.
• Matt as Arvana, aka Shrike (Scion). The daughter of interdimensional conqueror Nabasu the Annihilation, Shrike led her father's armies to earth. But, impressed by the heroes of Halcyon City, she decided work with these heroes and turn against Nabasu.
• Liz as Charlie, aka Jade X (Delinquent). Charlie has a habit of getting into (and usually out of) trouble using her power to create illusions. But when she finally got caught, one of the agents of A.E.G.I.S. saw her potential and assigned her to a team of young heroes for training.

This is the first in a three-part game of Masks: A New Generation by Magpie Games. If you like our game, you can pick it up for yourself from Magpie or DriveThruRPG. It's a Powered by the Apocalypse game, so characters are based on playbooks, and there are some great fan-made playbooks that expand on the official options. Joe played with a custom playbook called The Host/ed, which you can find here if you're interested.

Music for this game is "Hero Stuff," written and performed by Joseph Perez/Mad Shaman Studios. 

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daggerheart has just launched, so in this episode we talk about our first impressions of this new game, which seems poised to take on D&D. It's a game that encourages worldbuilding and storytelling, and it's flexible enough to tell different sorts of stories (and comes with several diverse campaign settings) — but not all of us love this new game from the creators of Critical Role.

Fortunately, there are a lot of other games coming out, many of them crowdfunded: we talk about Blades in the Dark: Deep Cuts, a rules expansion for this supernatural criminal TTRPG; Paizo's Pathfinder dating sim card game (yes, you read that right); the Outgunned Superheroes expansion, currently on Backerkit (including a free 70-page quickstart guide); Astra Arcanum, a fascinating new sci-fi TTRPG now on Kickstarter; and a Monty Python TTRPG from Exalted Funeral(yes, this is a real thing and you can buy it right now). It's a great time to be a gamer, because there are so many great tabletop games to play right now.

And, of course, if you prefer D&D to all the rest, the revised Eberron book (including Artificers) is coming in August and Wizards of the Coast is playtesting some interesting new horror-themed subclasses.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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This week we're continuing our game of Rebel Scum, a game of anti-fascist space opera that seems a lot like Star Wars -- so of course we just used it to play in the Star Wars universe! When an overwhelmingly powerful fascist Empire threatens those who want to see a better future for those around them and for the rest of the galaxy, what do you do? You fight back, you fight hard, and you don't stop until you win.

Join GM Phil Ulrich as we follow the crew of the Furious Tooka on their quest to free the overworked, underpaid, and Empire-oppressed workers of the miners of the Salient System.

Their target? Some Gamorrean grunt named Flegg who seems to be the key to the disappearance of their contact. Or was his name Greg? Maybe Blerg? Look, names are hard. Here's our cast of characters:

• Chris as Varin Jayne (Rogue/Vanguard), a Corellian with a starship who maybe was in it just for profit to start with but maybe — just maybe -- has a heart of gold buried down in there. If he sounds familiar to you, no he doesn't.
• Mitch as TB-WN2 (Robot/Fighter), a former assassin droid who has given up his life of killing for good. Instead, he brings a delightful accent, a calm demeanor, and a weird array of shapeshifting abilities to bear.
• Liz as Mia (Revolutionary/Expert), who is very definitely just an ordinary starship mechanic and definitely not a spy and elite hacker in the service of the Rebellion. Why would you even think that? You have some wild ideas, stranger.
• Joe as YHA-U, aka "Yeehaw" (Robot/Tank), a good-natured former mining droid who now fights to break the chains -- and necks -- of tyranny.
• Matt as The Orphan (Ronin/Fighter), a Wookiee and former Jedi Padawan who looks like he's been in a lot of fights and narrowly won them; he's a problem solver, as long as the problem can be solved with violence.

This is the second in a three-part game of Rebel Scum! If you missed the first episode, you can listen to that here. Look for new episodes every Monday.

This game was played with the second edition of Rebel Scum from 9th Level Games, a game of laser swords, space combat, and fighting back against space fascists trying to put their boots on your collective necks. If you're interested in getting this easy-to-learn game for yourself -- it's powered by the Polymorph system much like our prior games of Pigeon's 11 and Sentai & Sensibility, meaning it's lightweight and narrative focused -- you can pick up the digital copy from 9th Level's itch.io page for the game, or in print (with free PDF!) directly from 9th Level Games.

The music in this podcast is "Fanfare for Space" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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It's time for a new adventure with our Tavern Watch crew as we dive into Outgunned Adventure (and, yes, we're going to be using the word adventure a whole lot here). Our story opens with our daring explorers climbing to the top of a mountain in the middle of the ocean near Greenland in search of the tomb of the viking king Eric the Red, and whatever treasure he has left behind. (Valuable both monetarily and historically, of course.) Our party must brave the elements, each other (sometimes the biggest challenge), and any traps left behind by the ancient viking warriors.

Join GM Joe Perez as he guides the definitely ideal team of explorers through danger (sometimes self inflicted) and cliffhangers (sometimes literal). This week's players are:

• Eric as Savar Khan, a fighter who may have more brawns than brains (an essential piece of every adventuring party) and could have more fashion sense than the rest of us put together.
• Phil as Raymond Suri, the obligatory professor who may be a little out of his depth (and scared of heights, making him the perfect mountain climbing companion).
• Liz as Victoria Sheng, a professional bounty hunter (the current bounty is treasure) who's getting too old for this.
• Matt as Natalya Morozova, a former soldier who's chasing the latest treasure for the thrill of it (and occasionally dropping shocking character reveals).

This is the first in a three-part game of Outgunned Adventure, a variant of Outgunned by Two Little Mice. These games are all about creating cinematic moments inspired by the movies, and Adventure is all about exploring ancient tombs and charging through dense jungles in search of treasure! It's a setting with movie magic built right in, from The Mummy to Indiana Jones. If you enjoy the game, check out Two Little Mice!

The music in this podcast is "Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free!

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On the latest Tavern Watch Podcast, we're excited about Draw Steel, a new game from MCDM that strikes us as spiritual successor to D&D 4e. The game features crunchy combat where all of your attacks hit (but may not hit very well) and you're encouraged to push your luck to rack up more victories before resting — but it also includes rules that encourage roleplay, like detailed downtime activities that could play back into your adventure (rather just saying you spent your downtime making healing potions and leaving it at that). The game has a lot of interesting features for those who enjoy (or at least aren't opposed to) tactical combat. But at Blizzard Watch, we're gearing up to play Outgunned Adventure, a pulp action adventure that aims to capture the cinematic feel of movies like The Mummy or Indiana Jones. You'll be able to catch us playing it next week's Tavern Watch, but right now we're still reading up on this variant of Outgunned, a system that homes in on making your tabletop games feel like an action movie.

And Critical Role keeps making news, with new details about the upcoming Campaign 4, which will be GM'd by fan-favorite Brennan Lee Mulligan. He's taken the reins of the game a couple of times before for short series, but this time he'll be running the whole show with forever DM Matt Mercer getting the chance to play a long-term campaign. (Fellow DMs know how rare this is.) The new campaign features a supersized cast including all of the original CR crew as well as a bunch of new faces. It will be a West Marches style game, in which three different adventuring parties set out in the new world Aramán with stories that run concurrently and could intertwine. The campaign kicks off on October 2, 2025.

Music from this episode is "Midnight Tale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

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