

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

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

Feb 7, 2024 • 1h 3min
#123. The Rage Bait Meta is Taking Over D&D YouTube!
This week's Eldritch Lorecast Unearths the last of the D&D Arcana and gets rage baited by the latest TTRPG controversies.
Express your style with 10% off at INTO THE AM: https://intotheam.com/GhostfireGaming
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
James: @JamesJHaeck
Teos: @Alphastream
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:36 - Exciting 5.5e rules
10:00 - Playtest Packet 8 review
22:27 - 5.5e launch dates
28:33 - Into the AM
30:41 - Tencent & rage bait
45:35 - Between session storytelling

Jan 31, 2024 • 60min
#122. The First D&D VR Game! Would You Join the Adventure?
We announce all the 5e news from Ghostfire Gaming, review the Deck of Many Things continued production issues, and when we can expect D&D in VR?
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Ben: @TheBenByrne
Dael: @DailyDael
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
James: @JamesJHaeck
Editor: @ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
04:48 - 2024 gaming conventions
07:58 - Ghostfire Gaming news!
15:37 - Deck of Many Things manufacturing
21:39 - D&D VR game
31:58 - Netflix TTRPG lawsuit
33:48 - Retreating in D&D 5e?
52:39 - Cutting rules from 5.5e
57:29 - 3D printing minis

Jan 24, 2024 • 1h 2min
#121. How Nightshade Inflicts Poison Damage on AI Art
Is Nightshade the end of AI art in the TTRPG industry? How do you effectively playtest new rules you've written? What's the worst DM behavior you've put up with in your D&D game? All that, and more!
Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.com
Shawn: @shawnmerwin
Dael: @DailyDael
Logan: @the_runesmith
Adam: @RetroArchetype
Editor: ZsDante
Topics:
00:00 - Intro
01:36 - TTRPG creator advice
09:53 - Nightshade poisons AI art
16:55 - Random House cocktails
25:33 - Bad DM behavior
40:08 - Playtesting subclasses
51:07 - Too many NPCs