

The Eldritch Lorecast
Ghostfire Gaming
Ben Byrne, Dael Kingsmill, Shawn Merwin, and James Haeck bring you the latest tabletop hobby news, discussions on roleplaying game design, ideas for players and GMs, and share their passion for tabletop roleplaying games and the community!
For More info be sure to check out ghostfiregaming.com.
For More info be sure to check out ghostfiregaming.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 17, 2024 • 1h 5min
#133. Does Initiative Make Daggerheart Better or Worse?
We review the changes to Daggerheart and whether it's better or worse with initiative rules, boggle at the price of Dimension 20 live tickets, and consider whether Hasbro's CEO is right about the future of gaming.
Get Monsters of Drakkenheim: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_DDMD_2024_4_131
Chris Cocks WBUR-fm interview: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/04/03/dungeons-and-dragons-hasbro
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Monty: @montycmartin
Kelly: @KaiInRealLife
Dungeon Dudes: @DungeonDudes
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
05:33 - Dimension 20 ticket prices
19:11 - Daggerheart playtest update
40:55 - Monsters of Drakkenheim
49:22 - Metamorphosis Alpha
50:15 - Chris Cocks interview

Apr 10, 2024 • 1h 7min
#132. What Loot Is Hiding in the D&D LEGO Dungeon?
This week Lexi McQueen joins the Lorecast to look through the D&D LEGO adventure, speculate at the D&D video game news, and then we all try not to panic while our party learns to teleport!
Get Monsters of Drakkenheim: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_DDMD_2024_4_131
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Lexi: @blackgirlmage
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
05:30 - Making Liveplays
11:53 - Writing adventures
14:18 - LEGO D&D Adventure
20:43 - D&D Videogame news
28:43 - Karlach takes up wrestling!
30:37 - Women Innovators of Play 2024
32:20 - Monsters of Drakkenheim
32:58 - TTRPG rules vs setting
53:42 - Handling the teleport spell

Apr 3, 2024 • 1h 2min
#131. D&D Sales Have Dropped in 2023! What Now?
D&D Beyond joins Kickstarter to support Monsters of Drakkenheim, a free 5e adventure is released for Tsojcanth, and are dropping D&D sales in 2023 a problem?
Express your style with 10% off at INTO THE AM: https://intotheam.com/GhostfireGaming
Get Monsters of Drakkenheim: https://get.monstersofdrakkenheim.com/14
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
James: @JamesJHaeck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:49 - Digital vs physical rules
06:14 - Point buy vs roll stats
14:18 - D&D Beyond on Kickstarter
21:49 - Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
32:33 - D&D sales fall 30%
48:30 - TTRPG dream sequences

Mar 27, 2024 • 57min
#130. Baldur's Gate 4 is Cancelled. Here's Why!
A deluge of gaming news breaks with a sneak peak at the new 5e DMG, Tome of Beast hits D&D Beyond, Wizard's secures more licensing deals, and Larian cancels Baldur's Gate 4!
Get Monsters of Drakkenheim: https://get.monstersofdrakkenheim.com/14
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
James: @JamesJHaeck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Adam: @RetroArchetype
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Gaming snacks
06:51 - Conquest Melbourne
07:37 - Gary Con news
08:20 - Shadowdark
11:56 - Matt Mercer in the new DMG
15:05 - More Gary Con news
29:33 - Tome Of Beasts on D&D Beyond
32:20 - Monsters of Drakkenheim
36:15 - D&D LEGO release
41:03 - D&D Converse
42:10 - Baldur's Gate cancelled
48:11 - Remembering James M. Ward
50:09 - D&D is for Nerds podcast

Mar 20, 2024 • 1h 14min
#129. Daggerheart Doesn't Want You to Roll for Initiative
The Dungeon Dudes drop in to talk the Daggerheart open Beta, their next 5e Kickstarter "Monsters of Drakkenheim", and whether AI creation tools can be used responsibly?
Get Monsters of Drakkenheim: https://get.monstersofdrakkenheim.com/14
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
James: @JamesJHaeck
Monty: @montycmartin
Kelly: @KaiInRealLife
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Best 5e monster type
13:20 - Monsters of Drakkenheim
31:56 - Hasbro using AI
43:38 - Daggerheart playtest

Mar 13, 2024 • 1h 5min
#128. 5e Adventurer's League Absorbed by D&D Beyond!
5e Adventurer's League consolidates onto D&D Beyond, Chaosium offers money if you develop for the Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine, and Kobold Press announces a new Tales of the Valiant starter set!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
James: @JamesJHaeck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
06:49 - Chaosium game design competition
20:08 - Adventurers League on D&D Beyond
25:44 - Premier AL organizers
37:59 - Tales of the Valiant starter set
42:09 - Do adventure modules railroad?

Mar 6, 2024 • 57min
#127. How to Playtest Daggerheart for Darrington Press!
Darrington Press announces a Daggerheart open playtest, D&D Beyond updates Maps and offers an exclusive Vecna adventure, and a surprise new TTRPG adventure wants you to play for science!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
James: @JamesJHaeck
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
05:23 - Daggerheart playtest
22:28 - D&D Beyond Maps
29:43 - Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye
39:43 - Realms of Kymoria lawsuit
44:31 - Learning from adventure modules
53:05 - Surprise NASA TTRPG

Feb 28, 2024 • 1h 7min
#126. How Many D&D Characters Can You Name?
Does D&D lore need a refresh with more recognizable characters? Why did WotC cut Portuguese translations from their books? Where's the best place to get TTRPG news? All that and more on the Eldritch Lorecast!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Luna: @Luboffin
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
04:13 - Rascal TTRPG news
12:54 - D&D in Portuguese cut
16:45 - Candela Obscura season 4
31:46 - Tom Cardy & Dragon Friends
35:39 - Faction design
45:15 - Updating D&D lore

Feb 21, 2024 • 57min
#125. Has D&D Cross Marketing Gone Too Far!?
This week's Eldritch Lorecast reignites the Legendary Resistance debate, welcomes more 3rd party publishers to D&D Beyond, gets hyped for LEGO rumors, and charts the rise and fall of Evil Genius Games.
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
James: @JamesJHaeck
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - Legendary resistances
15:46 - Hasbro investor call
25:06 - Humblewood on D&D Beyond
26:51 - D&D LEGO partnership
33:06 - Rise and fall of Evil Genius Games
40:15 - No-win player choices

Feb 14, 2024 • 1h 1min
#124. Will Release Dates Build Excitement for D&D 2024?
The D&D 2024 release schedule arrives just in time for this week's Eldritch Lorecast! We also talk Dragonlance heartbreak and how to use player-character backgrounds effectively?
Discover Surviving Strangehollow: http://get.accidentalcyclops.com/4
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
James: @JamesJHaeck
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:22 - TTRPG romance
05:47 - Dragonlance heartbreak
15:58 - D&D 2024 release schedule
22:02 - Player's Handbook 2024
25:57 - D&D Converse, LEGO, and Pop-tarts
30:28 - Surviving Strangehollow
38:05 - Foundry VTT partnership
46:03 - Using character backstories