Epic Adventure

Send us a textWelcome back to You Heard it Here Last were we talk about news, you’ve already heard.I just want to take a moment as we gently enter 2025 to say…Holy Crap! Hasbro is at it again.https://www.geeknative.com/170004/tales-of-riches-dd-partners-with-online-gambling-company-embroiled-in-spying-row/Games Global is an online gambling site that has announced it has partnered with Hasbro to release “Tales of Riches” that is described as ‘inspired by the legendary fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons’.https://www.parents.com/kids/safety/kids-as-young-as-11-are-becoming-addicted-to-online-gambling/That’s right Hasbro has licensed Dungeons & Dragons to an online gambling site. You know, those insidious advertisements and websites that push gambling to the public. Well, they are always looking to hook a younger audience and since kids are more than twice as likely to become addicted to gambling why not grab something like D&D to really sink your teeth into the younger audience.Just when I thought Hasbro couldn’t sink any lower. I can’t say that I am surprised, but this one really burns me. At this rate I feel like next Christmas they will announce that Hasbro has partnered with a Chinese Fentanyl company to supply loot drops.Am I overreacting on this guys?[Kick to Christina and Mike]I think the best way to get the bad taste of the last news item out of my mouth is to switch to something a little more…refreshing.https://www.enworld.org/threads/henry-cavills-warhammer-40k-show-is-happening.708384/Amazon has official greenlit Henry Cavills Warhammer 40K TV Show.Warhammer 40K is the most popular miniature wargame in the world. Originally published in 1987, it is on its 10th edition. Set in the far future, it mixes fantasy tropes with sci-fi in a grim, dark universe. It is currently being publishing by Cubicle 7.I played a little Warhammer 40K back when it was produced by Games Workshop. I liked it. It is a miniature war game with some really dark elements that make it fun. I was turned off by the way that Games Workshop would release a new miniature with special rules that destroyed everything on the table only to be topped the next month by a newer, more expensive, mini that would do the same, but all in all it was a good game.Henry Cavill has been a vocal fan of the game for many years and has been working hard behind the scenes to get this made. This is expected to be a live action product with Henry Cavill starring.What do you guys think about that?[Kick to Christina and Mike]And there it is, our first You Heard it Here Last of the year and make sure you like and subscribe so you will never miss the news you’ve already heard.

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Send us a textSeason 2 WrapAs we slide into December, literally and figuratively, it’s time to wrap up Season 2 of the Epic Adventure Podcast. Trying to get the gang together and record this time of year is tough. Family commitments, travel, work, and educational requirements take a big bite out of time and being able to just cozy up in front of your favorite holiday decorations and enjoy some downtime is very important. So, you wont hear a full episode from us until January of, sigh, 2025. Those numbers just keep adding up.We have had a great time chatting about games and gaming over the last year and we look forward to another year and Season 3 of the Epic Adventure Podcast.What to look forward to in 2025?That’s a great question. Our list of topics grows everyday and we plan on chatting about; What to do when players don’t show, Is Roleplaying an Old or Young Hobby, How to Encourage New Players, How to run your first game, The Spy Genre, The Romance Genre, the D&D Creator Scandal, How to run Modern Games, More Business episodes, More AI episodes and of course, whatever topics you the listener would like for us to address.Speaking of you the listener, we have a couple of ways to can reach out to us. First at the top of our show notes you can text us. That text will go into an email and we will get notified of your question or comment through our podcast host, buzzsprout. Secondly, we have a new direct email for the show. You can email the show at [email protected] We would love to hear from you and we promise to respond to all of your questions and comments.Finally, we would like to send a rally cry to all of the small independent game designers and companies out there. We would love to talk with you about your product, design, and idea. If you own or run a small independent game company sends us an email. If you are a game designer and have a new product you are getting ready to launch, let us know. If you are looking to kickstart your new game, reach out. We want you on our show. Send us an email with your contact information and we will get in touch with you about coming on the podcast and talking about your new product. A rising tide raises all ships and want to promote and foster our hobby at every opportunity.Well, that’s it for 2024. End of the year, and end of Season 2. Make sure you like and subscribe, share the show with your friends and help us grow this wonderful community.We look forward to hearing from you and jumping in to 2025 with Season 3 of the Epic Adventure Podcast and remember, have an epic adventure.

Send us a textRunning NPCs“You see a long hallway made from stone, the ceiling is low and several of the supports along the walls look old and on the verge of collapse. What do you want to do?” the GM said in an ominous voice.I looked over at Chris, “whadda ya think?”“That’s got trap written all over it” he said.“Yea, Lets have our NPC thief check it out and make sure it’s safe.” I looked at the GM.He nodded his head and said “Cool” and began rolling dice…and rolling dice…and rolling dice. I started flipping through the rulebook out of boredom.Finally, the GM spoke up. “OK, He discovered three traps and managed to disarm two of the but he failed his check on the third one. Rocks crashed down pinning him at the end of the hallway. He calls out to you in pain asking for help.”“Oh, Wow, we got lucky there. OK, lets send our NPC barbarian to move the rocks and free the thief.”“Great, let me make some die rolls.” The GM went back to rolling dice and I went back to flipping through the rulebook.If that sounds familiar to you, don’t get discouraged. Non-Player Characters are important, and a necessary part of roleplaying games. We have talked about how to build them, how to create compelling NPCs and a few tips and tricks to tie them to the party, but we have never really talked about using them in a game.If you have ever had an NPC that just magically appeared when needed, but otherwise didn’t exist, this is for you.If you have ever had a Player come back at the end of an encounter and say, “Hey isn’t that something our NPC could have done?” then this is for you.If you have ever gone three game sessions and forgot you had a companion traveling with you on your adventures then we are talking to you.NPCs,How do you run them, how do you incorporate them naturally into a party, and how do you not forget you even have them? These are all great questions and we are going to talk about that on today’s episode.Mike, You’ve been doing this awhile, you’ve never had problems running NPCs before have you?[Kick to Mike]