The Eldritch Lorecast

This week we review the changes in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, provide a sneak preview of Fables 2: Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse, briefly touch on the issues around Dark Souls TTRPG, and answer a  bunch of listener emails! Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Find out more about 'Fables 2: Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse' here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_FB02_2022_5_034 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 02:42 - Fables 2: Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse 08:27 - Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse 19:53 - Adventurers League adopting Mordenkainen's changes 22:20 - More alternatives to rolling for initiative 34:42 - The Dark Souls TTRPG 44:42 - Critical Role's Flexible Positional Superiority 50:00 - What makes your homebrew settings worth publishing?

Arora: Age of Desolation has arrived, and Shawn is here to unleash all the details about his beloved project! Unfortunately shardscale has started infecting Ben's microphone this week, resulting in a very slight audio quality dip. Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Pledge to survive 'Arora: Age of Desolation' here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_AR01_2022_5_033 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 06:23 - Shawn details all in 'Arora: Age of Desolation' 33:18 - D&D Beyond pulls Volo's and Mordenkainen's from sale 56:44 - Acquisitions Inc. and Lost Mines of Phandelver Free on D&D Beyond

This week a geyser of new D&D miniatures from Wizkids rains down upon us and sparks a conversation about battle maps vs theatre of the mind. Shawn teases Arora: Age of Desolation, and Ben invents his best segues yet. Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Discover more about Arora: Age of Desolation here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_AR01_2022_5_032 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 04:42 - 'Arora: Age of Desolation' teaser 07:25 - New Wizkids miniatures for Spelljammers and Bells Hells 11:35 - Theatre of the mind vs miniatures and battle maps 19:56 - Do you plan sessions entirely around minis? 31:28 - Should GMs delegate tasks to players? 49:04 - Capturing a specific genre or tone to your campaign

This week we try to break some news, pondering whether a 'Metaverse' is coming for 5e which could include third party campaign settings? James is as excited as ever for Episode 5 of Fables, and Dael teaches us the word skeumorphism. Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Check out the latest episode of Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_FB01_2022_5_031 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 02:14 - Fables, Episode 5: City of Decadence 04:58 - Urban D&D Adventures 12:48 - Is a D&D 5e 'Metaverse' coming? 22:41 - Colbert's new adventure, legacy media, and Skeumorphism 28:26 - Does party composition matter? 43:15 - Running sophisticated social encounters in 5e

We dive deep into the Dungeons & Dragons news from D&D Direct, including Spelljammer, Dragonlance, Baldur's Gate, campaign cases and more! Plus we dissect the implications (good and bad) of Wizards of the Coast purchasing D&D Beyond! Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Check out Ghostfire Gaming's website here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_ALL1_2022_4_030 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 07:35 - D&D Beyond acquired by Wizards of the Coast 20:34 - Goon balloon 22:02 - D&D Beyond data in WotC hands 26:40 - Will D&D become more complex with digital tools? 28:29 - Videogamification of D&D 37:51 - D&D Direct (Spelljammer) 54:51 - Rapid fire D&D Direct roundup

This week's episode of The Eldritch Lorecast is a deep dive into our mail bag, answering questions about party followers, sidekicks and familiars, D&D as an educational tool, and could you run Bridgerton as a 5e adventure? Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Check out Ghostfire Gaming's website here: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_ALL1_2022_4_029 Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 02:29 - Are party followers ever a good idea? 13:44 - Run party followers your players won't hate 37:00 - D&D and TTRPGs as educational tools? 47:45 - Bridgerton style D&D adventures

This week's news is Hasbro's stealth announcement of a new D&D starter adventure, 'Dragons of Shipwreck Cove', and the next chapter of Fables is revealed to be more open world! James is inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Dael rolls for initiative against a giant spider, Shawn recounts more of 5e's beginnings, and Ben doesn't like Skyrim. Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 00:17 - Dael's battle with Australian fauna 01:18 - Our first D&D 5e Adventures 07:28 - New D&D 5e starter box: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle 22:49 - Fables Episode 4: Land of Despair 35:20 - Zelda dungeons are fantastic for TTRPG design! 43:57 - Designing adventures: is everything a dungeon? 52:34 - Game design ideas and resources

It's no April Fool's joke, Paizo are publishing a Pathfinder module as a 5th Edition adventure! Meanwhile WizKids are making a skirmish wargame with D&D: Onslaught. Dael brings her Golarion expertise, Shawn fears the reality-slayer-sword, James is gaga-googly eyes, and Ben lets his wargamer flag fly! Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 06:40 - Paizo releasing a Pathfinder module for D&D 5e! 20:15 - Should other TTRPG publishers release 5e supplements? 27:03 - 'Dungeons & Dragons: Onslaught' is announced! 33:11 - Wargames vs roleplaying games 44:09 - Encouraging player-characters to explore your campaign world

This week we're hyped for 'Arora: Age of Desolation', 'Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel', and Stephen Colbert teaming up with Critical Role again in April! Dael and James reminisce over their favorite Crit Role guest stars, Shawn gives sneaky clues about his new campaign world, and Ben turns EVERY game into an rpg. Discover 'Arora: Age of Desolation': https://ghostfiregaming.com/arora/ Help Choose Stephen's Adventure (Again): https://tiltify.com/@criticalrole/choose-stephen-colberts-adventure-again Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 07:37 - Arora: Age of Desolation 14:07 - Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel 20:34 - Stephen Colbert teaming up with Critical Role 30:48 - Critical Role vs Legacy Media 36:27 - Introducing "Normies" to TTRPGs 43:29 - The Legacy of Dungeons & Dragons 52:51 - Incorporating other hobbies into your D&D game

This week we get hyped for the Dungeons & Dragons movie with Chris Pine and Hugh Grant, and debate whether it feels good to level up in 5e. Ben just keeps his players at level 1, Dael is kinder to leveling than she's been in the past, James is on Witcher Watch this week, and Shawn is glad it's not like earlier editions. Email questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com  Ben: @Melb_DM Dael: @DailyDael James: @jamesjhaeck Shawn: @shawnmerwin Topics: 00:00 - Intro 05:00 - The upcoming D&D movie! 15:10 - Is Hugh Grant villainous enough? 20:47 - What kind of adventure will the D&D movie be? 22:25 - Leveling up in D&D 5e 29:39 - Milestone vs XP - which is better? 45:13 - Leveling system in Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun 50:34 - Defining what spells are "legal" in your campaign