#This was my first DnD podcast and it got me into the game

[screamingintothejellyfishbloom]

"Not all exits are made equal. Some are beautiful, and poetic, and satisfying. Others are abrupt and unfair. But most are unremarkable, unintentional, clumsy." - The Adventure Zone: Balance

[emiko-matsui]

this is gonna make me a bit genuinely sad to say, but i haven't listened to the adventure zone balance since maybe 2020. episodes here and there, yes, but not listening to it. it's my heart, it introduced me to dnd, my first girlfriend, and those goddamn brothers. i have a point with this post, i swear.

i listen/watch a lot of dnd now and play it with my closest friends. ive watched 17 seasons of dimension 20, not another d&d podcast genuinely changed my life in a way im not even gonna get into, last summer i survived a remote island with my family through dungeons and daddies, i even got into dungeons and dragons and social distancing from watcher for a while. i play d&d with my closest friends, i kept in contact with one of my only high school friends through d&d, and i met my best friend in the entire world through a game. the adventure zone means the world to me. i haven't listened to it since 2020

all this to say—every wednesday i tune in to dropout and every week i turn on my naddpod playlist and i hear someone say, i cast... and then think about what they're gonna cast. and every single time (not voluntarily mind you, not like an inside joke with myself, just on pure instinct, an echo in my mind) i hear him...

any generic dnd player on a show: i cast-

a rumbling echo in my brain: ZONE OF TRUTH

[rqbossman]

Hello Mr Bossman! (and possibly anyone else who reads this)

Its an honour to be here, I have a few questions. First i appologise for the long paragraph, you may dismiss it for the questions at the bottom. For context, i am here after finishing TMA and being up to date with TMAP, i then went over and listened to RQG, and have just finished listening to Epilogue 3 and might i just say, good sir I am grateful for your podcasts. I am currently just a few months away from my final exams of High School, and as someone who even just 1 year ago was very lost, struggling with school and being just overwhelmed. TMA isnt exactly comforting, but the characters and plot managed to serve as a good form of escapism while sorting myself out. I found my self engaging more in creative things that i had originally put aside in favour of maths and science (which i hated but thought i needed to do). I started drawing again, even if just fanart. and i found things going well. By finding podcasts, story telling and these communities have helped me in my own understanding of what i want in life. I got an ADHD diagnosis earlier this year, and almost directly after started RQG and as my first hyperfixation (that i was aware of as an hyperfixation) gosh dang it hit hard. (in a good way). Ive been able to do so much more creative writing and drawings, and got re-involved with a small dnd group with some friends who i played one game with almost 4 years ago now. So overall, inspirational sounds cringe, but it was. Im doing my best with the upcoming exams, but trying to get in to Medicine is not my only prority, and the fact ive been re-introduced to my first love (Literature and story telling), im planning to go do an Arts degree and i know i wouldnt have been able to confidently make this decision, or even have survived this long in the school system without the work you and your coworkers do. Now the sap is out of the way, Question time! (if you could answer even just one of these questions it would be so cool)(they go in order of RQ relevant to random stuff)(dont feel pressured to answer all/any. i know i wrote alot): 1. what would you say is the best way to draft out a long-form story. (with "Erasing the Line" as an example) Did you start at the end, with the links to the overarching plot.

2. When working with the players (in a form of TTRPG), what did you do to make sure you didnt miss relevant timing of plot points/ avoid creating spoilers while still giving enough detail?

3. What are good places to start with making a job out of storytelling/voice acting/audio etc. In the case of RQ, how is this a job and where do i sign up please! /j (what i mean is, how is best way/how did you find all the people involved and was there a common path that you were all on before getting to where you are now?) 4. Do you have recommendations for Terry Pratchett Books, i may be an literary-leaning student, but it seems i have never actually properly read any of his books. so where is best place to start?/What did you read first?

5. Similar authors or similar inspirations? Did you have a favourite podcast you listen to in your free time that you havnt had a hand in producing/directing/working on. 6. Favourite song/album/artist. And more specifically, what you like listening to in background when doing either writing or (for ttrpg) character research/game planing. 7. Since the olympics are on at the moment, what has been your favourite sport to watch, if you have been watching at all. Thank you for your time :)

Thankyou for all the kind words. Knowing our work is helping people really keeps our engines fired up. Let's see if I can't answer your questions: 1. I "sandbox" which is where I just shove everything I can think of into an unorganised bullet point list. Characters, setting, plot, all of it in one big mess. Then I decide what type of story you want to tell, copy and paste to a new document and then start to organise the thoughts (with the sandbox on standby if new stuff comes in I don't know what to do with). I think of it like scultping, you cut away bits and reshape until something comes out the other end that is story shaped. Only then do I attempt to build the sandcastle and put something coherant together like a synopsis or scratch draft etc.

2. Very tricky. I did a complete review and update of all notes after each recording session and don't forget the audio eas edited. I made lots of gaffs that you never heard as audience.

3. I contacted anyone I could convince to take part and just proved I was serious by overworking. I don't reccomend that route. Unfortunately it really is "who" you know. That doesn't mean chase established professionals as much as it means you need to get out there and associate with other up-and-comers who match your vibe. For me the route was long and windy and not a particularly good example. 4. I normally recommend people do not read his books in publication order. Don't get me wrong, its wonderful watching his craft grow from one title to the next but I would recommend new readers tip their toe into his later works to see if they like where he ended up before committing the time. I often recommend 'Monstrous Regiment' as people's first one. My favourite though is 'Thief of Time.'

5. I don't get much time to listen to podcasts in the last couple of years. I used to listen to a lot of non fiction. 'Stuff you Should Know' and that ilk. I also read a fair amount of classic YA fiction to unwind (Windinsger trilogy, Bartimeous, stuff like that.) 6. Paul Simon's Graceland but when working I assemble a playlist for each seperate project that is tonally appropriate. If I really need to focus I listen to Classical Minimalism. Or the Old School Runescape soundtrack. I'm allowed to be ecclectic. 7. I am actually in an incredibly busy work crunch at the moment so haven't seen any of it!

[dirgecomic]

Ah! I missed BG3s birthday - excuse me while I post too many emotions.

My friend bought this game for me when I was in a pretty isolated and difficult patch of life. I don’t really play video games - mostly group games like overcooked with my roommates or I play Fortnite (poorly) so that I can hang out online with my nieces and nephews.

Recently I got my certification to be a therapeutically trained DM, I help build skills for kids with autism and adhd through using TTRPGs as a modality for growth - aka creating intentionally therapeutic environments, interactions and relationships In game and presenting challenges for players that mirror challenges they face in thier life - but with magic and dragons and actionable adventure and control.

I am a forever DM, it’s rare I get to play dnd as a player and I missed it. So this game was amazing for me. I got to play DND! I was so suprised though when I realized the game was just as therapeutic for me as my games are for others.

I have bipolar disorder, adhd and autism. Before 2020 I could mask, but since then I’m a little separate from the world. This game (particularly the Durge play through) was a real light in the darkness. To me Durge became a representation of my mental health - how bipolar can take over, how I can be mean or say and do manic things. I hate how it can make me look or sound. So I connected with Durge, my Tav tried to resist, tried to rely on friends, communicate what was happening and still find love and support despite having a scary affliction - much like my own mental health disorder that is REALLY looked down on. (Though guys, I don’t murder people it’s chill).

I got to explore my gender, I got to create a queer relationship of support (yes yes in a video game , yall get it). It has been such an eye opening game, it has helped me untangle a lot of emotions. And last but not least Astarion taught me that abuse and sexual trauma doesn’t define you. It’s like the game plucked the difficult moments from my life and allowed me to treat others with the kindness I’ve wanted to see others treat me with while I heal and grow.

That is why I’m making this comic, to show how ttrpgs can be healing, to model behavior about telling your story from the roof tops and not hiding cheesy/enlighting/comfort fan energy. This comic approaches this game intentionally with mental health in mind - trauma, confidence, anxiety, pain and most importantly care communities. - it also will have music recommendations cuz my guy is a bard after all. my story is very different from the game while also actively pulling details from it. Check it out if your like, I post every ten days or more often honestly.

Thanks so much for reading and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of two incredibly influential bits of media for my growth.

PS - please check out The Adventure Zone balance if you haven’t already. This podcast was the reason I became a DM. They kept me company (listening to them) for months of a strange job with strange people. I owe my carrier path as a professional DM to that family of podcasters. It’s amazing, goofy, heart wrenching and honestly pretty stupid. If you haven’t listened to it I RECOMMEND it.

Anyway take this gay bit of Astarion/Custom Durge fan art. It was one of my first ‘people drawings’ that I really was proud of. THANK YOU Kibbitzer for your amazing collection or reference drawings - you’ve helped me grow as an artist!!

[magicturtle]

I started listening to critical hit when I was pretty young (maybe 13 or 14? Don't recall exactly when, before 5e and during the second term of the Obama presidency if that helps), and it really got me into ttrpgs in a big way - I bought *so* many secondhand 4e books. After a few years, I kinda fell out of listening to it and carried on with my life, still maintaining ttrpgs as my primary hobby space. Recently I've revisited 4e (hoping to run it with my group after our lancer campaign wraps up) and the podcast as well, which led me to this blog. Something I've always said about 4e is that it's the only edition of dnd to be really honest and up front about mechanically centering combat - 3.5 and 5 both do as well, but seem a little embarrassed about it an unwilling to commit to the idea. Revisting 4 though, I think I may have been mistaken. Writing from the designers (ex, the example characters they present in "4th edition for dummies") and some elements of the PHB make me believe that they, on some level, still were trying to do the "three pillars" thing mechanically. For example, having utility powers that are either only usable in combat or only usable out of combat as well as utility powers that could theoretically be used in either case (see PHB Warlock level 12 utilities) seems like a kind of weird design choice, like having those parts of the game compete for the same character resources strike me kinda weirdly. Curious if you have any thoughts on this.

I think you’re right, but you’re looking at it at an angle. 4e was the first (and maybe last) time that WotC’s D&D was honest about its focus on combat, and that allowed them to create a tight, robust system that could then be extrapolated into hundreds of combinations. Part of that focus is seen in player options emphasizing choice and mechanical impact.

These twin ideas mean that on level up, when given a choice, the player can choose one of many options, and that option will be mechanically impactful. Now, 4e existed for a long time and, especially if you were picking up the digital magazines you could argue that these ideas were not always at the forefront, but as far as the printed material, choice and mechanical impact were always important, even if the execution wasn’t always successful.

The extension of these ideas out of the realm of combat is reflected in 4th edition’s skill challenges. Same idea, choice and mechanical impact, hence feats and powers that care about skill rolls. Now, folks around here know that RAW skill challenges were, pun intended, a little undercooked; which is why I wrote up the Lord Kensington rules. If you continue to listen to The Void Saga on Critical Hit you may notice that my skill challenges are both tough and impactful, adding this pressure motivates players to get better at skill challenges. By the end of the game most, if not all PCs had one (or more) flat skill bonus feats. Many had, as you point out, chosen to forego potential combat bonuses for something that kept them from crashing and burning on skill challenges.

Run son! It’s time for a skill challenge!

So yeah, tldr 4e’s crew tried to extend their design philosophy to the other two pillars in the form of skill challenges, but clearly it didn’t receive the same amount of time as combat. But also that’s ok, because I fixed it for them.

Thanks for listening and thanks for writing in!

[comicaurora]

Hey I'm getting into DnD, do you have any podcast or series of a DnD campaign to recommend? I know there is critical role, but wich one of those should i start with? Is there a better beginning than critical role? I am lost here, please help

This is gonna very much depend on your personal preferences and attention span! I recommend sampling a range of DnD podcasts to find your personal tolerances and what parts appeal to you. I'm not the most widely-read person in this space because frankly most DnD podcasts are on too slow a boil for my attention span, but I've got a few you could check out-

Critical Role is the biggest and most well-known one for sure, but pacing wise I personally can't get through it. I love it in concept, but it's slow enough and huge enough that my brain zones out in the downtime and I lose track of important details when things speed up again. I think my first successful exposure to it was a brisk two-hour video that's just a Best Moments Of Grog compilation. That's also why I've been really liking The Legend Of Vox Machina, which keeps all the biggest and best moments but paces them like an actual story instead of a game. It's not representative of the experience of playing a TTRPG, but it is a lot of fun.

I personally enjoy limited-run miniseries a lot more, because they work better for my limited attention span, and on the critical role front that means I recommend EXU Calamity, a Doomed Heroes far-distant prequel to the modern setting of CR. Only four four-hour episodes and it's on a bit of a slow boil for the first three, but because everybody involved knows how the story's going to end, there's an endless drip of dramatic tension along the way. The DM, Brennan Lee Mulligan, is going to show up a lot more on this list.

On the subject of short miniseries DM'd by Brennan Lee Mulligan, Escape From The Bloodkeep is my personal favorite and the one I revisit the most. Six two-hour episodes, deeply unhinged and intrinsically comedic as it's a full-series parody of Lord of the Rings. I recommend it for a lot of reasons, not least of which being that Matt Mercer, who is an excellent DM, gets to play, and his playstyle is a great example of how to roll with the punches and the dice, since his extremely menacing nazghul captain is afflicted by a string of hilarious failures and he kind of just owns it, to the point where his character arc becomes accepting his worth as an individual with the power of friendship. It's a great example of not taking yourself or your character too seriously, which is a vital skill for players to learn in order to handle the whims of the dice sometimes (or often) not cooperating with your narrative wishes. If CR isn't working for you but you're interested in what you can pick up from this extremely talented DM, this is a good way to get that!

Dimension 20 (Collegehumor's DnD branch) has several series I really like, most of them DM'd by Brennan Lee Mulligan again. His DMing style really works for me, and he takes an approach to pacing that I quite like, so they're generally a safe bet for me. One I categorically recommend is The Unsleeping City, an urban fantasy DnD game set in New York City. This one is 19 two-hour episodes, so longer than the other miniseries but still much shorter than CR, and it can give you a bit of a sampler for (a) the genrebending you can do with DnD and (b) a longer-form story with a less rigidly determined finale than the previous examples. Brennan's DM style is very cool, and he puts an unusual amount of focus on characters getting solo vignettes, which is sometimes considered a bit gauche in DM circles because it means the other players don't have a whole lot to do during those solo conversations, but it works for him and his players and the effect is very cinematic!

But if you want to see a different DM's style in the same space, A Court Of Fey And Flowers is run by Aabria Iyengar, one of the EXU Calamity players, and she has a very different but also cinematic DMing style! The game is also a hybridization of DnD and a different system for facilitating Jane Austen romances, which is dope. Only the first episode is up on Youtube, but that should probably be enough to let you determine if you want to check out more.

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the two DnD Actual-Plays I'm in, Rolling With Difficulty and Heart of Elynthi. Rolling with Difficulty is subdivided into three seasons of 8-10 four-hour episodes each, with each season having one overarching plot or threat but mostly being composed of episodic adventures - it's a Planescape series, meaning most episodes take us to a completely new plane of existence to deal with its unique geometry, fun denizens and wacky threats. It's also a lot more edited than some actual-play podcasts, with an effort to avoid the slow parts and the dice-rolling, mental math, "what am I gonna do this round," etc. Heart of Elynthi is an ongoing series that's only about five or six episodes in, with an overarching mystery in the background and a "collect the things to save the world" plotline in the foreground. It also streams new episodes on Twitch on (some) Wednesday afternoons, so if you'd benefit from a live chat to hang out and talk with during games, that might be worth checking out to see if you like it! Elynthi also has had some pretty cool behind-the-curtain stuff about how the players can handle in-character disagreements without them turning into IRL fights, which is something I don't think I've ever seen another DnD actual-play explicitly unpack but is also extremely important for players to consider, so that's fun.

[tnoy-keraxis]

What would each CC characters podcasts be about

THE QUESTION EVER!!!!!! I have developed this au so far and I love talking about it. I am going to put a cut after the background info because im going to be so annoying

So, for background, they all work for a little podcast network known in my heart as 'Bogs Hollow FM' (BHFM) <3. It was founded by Ragweed and The Narrator (David)* after their podcast was so successful that they could afford to not only expand their podcast but acquire others and fund some new ones!

*Note: I know that this mixes the two layers of fiction that we are given in CC. I know that the Narrator and Ragweed don't actually know the main characters. I know the characters are played by The Players. I know the story in CC is mostly fiction. This is just me having fun <3 Im just saying this because I would argue with myself over this.

but anyway!!! talk about the podcasts below the cut because this shit is LONG (i know you didnt ask for all the lore but i like talking)

Starting with the one that started it all, Ragweed and David have a weekly podcast called The Woodblock (this is one of the few names I'm sure of). It is just general news/guys talking. It got popular fast and good on them. It's become a huge production and most of the audience just shitposts about how they seemingly get divorced every episode. Ragweed's real name isn't Ragweed, but he refuses to tell anyone what his real name is.

Then, when The Woodblock became so successful, and they started BHFM, they acquired 3 other podcasts that were already successful in their own right and gave them increased funding.

First, The Prince (Nicholas) has a podcast which is essentially a painful rehash of alpha-male podcasts. But it did not find it's intended audience... Now it's essentially got the worlds queerest audience that just makes fun of him, but he does not notice. People assume it's a parody. It was originally just him, until he bullied Tadius into being his cohost but that's a story for another day

Then, Ella has an audience helpline podcast where she just answers questions and does general self-help/wellbeing content. We love a girl working through her trauma and helping others at the same time. She doesn't have a cohost but occasionally invites Lucy and Justine on, but they don't take things seriously enough. It is her sanctuary, and she wants to keep it as just hers. The last podcast they acquired was The Stepmother's podcast which is just an aggressive drama podcast, tragically the only way I can explain the energy is Frenemies meets Drama Alert, and I hope that gives you an idea of how horrific the energy is. Putrice and Rancilda are frequently their as well.

But when they acquired those 3, they also got handed some spin-off podcasts (which i dont have much to say about):

Rancilda has a daily riddles podcast that she is "hiding" from her stepmother (she isn't, its call "ranciriddles"). She has an audience suggested riddle every week.

Putrice has a more lowkey gossip podcast because she wants to be just like her mother but its way less toxic and tbh it's a good time.

Lucy and Justine have like a fun little sleepover style podcast, they just play games and talk and have a good time. They once did a whole episode reading fanfic about The Prince and Tadius just to fuck with them.

Crumb and Sir Hop-a-Lot (real names Chris and Harold <3) have a motivational/workout podcast, they are just the world's most chaotic duo, no one really understands what their podcast is trying to be.

The Fairy Queen has a daily affirmations podcast that she films at 3am. No one knows her real name. No one knows who she is.

and then lastly, they have a group dnd podcast run by David with the exact plot to Cinderella's Castle. It's a mess.

and that's a basic rundown of all the podcasts. There has been a lot of drama between them all including the aforementioned fanfic beef, the several times Tadius has been locked in a storage cupboard and why the Fairy Queen records at 3am but that's a post for another day.

[torque-witch]

Meet the Witch - 2024 Edition

Honestly I have not introduced myself in a LONG time because I've had this account since 2014 ish - so in case there are new people here this can be a good reference point.

So hi, hello - this is me in 2024. You can call me Cara but most people here know me as Torque! My pronouns are They/Them and I am currently 32 and married. I live in Pittsburgh, PA.

Most people know me for my devotion to Hel, Norse goddess of Death and my art of her!

(My hair is a bit longer so I just pull it back - but I barely take pictures anymore. Anyhow -)

What's new?

Still chronically ill and disabled; in 2024 we are still recovering from medical trauma that induced two phobias, POTS-like symptoms and a mystery digestive issue that is probably the severe IBS my meds that caused the trauma were controlling.

I am currently and hopefully to stay fully self-employed after finally getting off my feet from said trauma that left me pretty house-bound for a year. Somewhere in there I got a job with a catering company that truly was terrorizing, never reported me for taxes and therefore fucked up my finance history.

But, in 2024 so far I have done a good amount of shows and toured again briefly with the Oddities & Curiosities Expo group in cities outside of PA and that was incredible! I grew a lot as an artist, and it really helped me to work through some of my phobias and continue to stabilize.

You can find my Etsy here but I am focusing most of my efforts on shows! It would be best to follow my Instagram to keep up with events and new products!

Otherwise I've just been focusing on adulting and trying to fix our finances so that we can actually buy a house someday (hopefully).

A fun fact is that I started listening to ATEEZ in mid-2023 and got to see them in concert in DC this year as a bday gift to myself. It was absolutely the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. They are PERFORMERS.

If you're still on the fence about listening to Kpop, you're missing out! I poo-pooed it for a long time as cringey, but ATEEZ has very progressive lyrics and most of the fan-base in real life are alternative women and enby's in their 20's and 30's. Seriously the most fun I've ever had.

Other than that if I need to state it again, this page is for representation and acceptance of all forms and hate will not be tolerated. It's impossible to write out all the ways that people can be hateful but basically don't be a nazi or phobic in any way.

Not much else happened this year except a bunch of small-town drama associated with said catering company (story time?) and shit with our previous landlord (we moved). I made some really good local friends that I'm so appreciative of, and joined a DnD campaign for the first time!

My character is Ashaf Tendara, an Arcana Cleric archeologist who accidentally found some ruins of Ubtao and now unfortunately because of one of the sessions, their way of spell-casting is just screaming T-rex noises for ten minutes straight (Ubtao is related to dinosaurs somehow). We've finally emerged from the poop dungeons in said campaign, and some of those interactions I've wrote down are truly incredible. My Mage Hand is also a spectral sticky hand. My husband's steel defender's name is Duke Poop'em because of said poop dungeons.

I also read manga, watch anime and still read young adult fantasy at my big age (Adult SciFi is sooooo dense omg but it just takes me longer lol) and watch cozy game and horror playthroughs on YouTube. I listen to podcasts a lot about the paranormal, true crime and reddit readings.

Basically I'm a chronically ill and online shut-in artist with some witchy stuff sprinkled up in there.

I hope that was exciting and super informative. If you have any questions please send them in!

-Torque

[utilitycaster]

you getting push back on that post is crazy to me isn't it enough to watch and get invested in something for what it is currently rather than what it will be? I have so many unfinished projects in my own life it'd be crazy to demand polished completion from everything I watch/read. my unfinished sketches and embroidery and abandoned dnd campaigns still brought joy and growth without having a polished thing to present at the end

So what's funny to me is like. I have referenced this before here and elsewhere but like, as a child, I was SO bad at ambiguous and sad endings and my mother was like, not unkind about this, but neither did she coddle it, and I think that laid a groundwork that was really necessary.

My tags, which got lost bc I did NOT expect that post to break containment, do actually touch on how Netflix and other streaming services canceling things to avoid paying people a fair wage fucking suck but yeah here's a list of creative endeavors I participated in or watched/listened to/read that do not as of this posting have endings and I still liked, and many of them aren't even directly attributable to capitalism because this is just a fact of life and art.

As mentioned, both A Song of Ice and Fire and the Kingkiller Chronicles.

Multiple D&D campaigns for sure (I actually don't make D&D characters without a game in mind and find it weird that people do and so I'm like why am I the one arguing for the beauty of the incomplete).

Multiple fics, both mine and others.

King Falls AM, a podcast I binged in like 2018-2019 and despite being a mystery never actually completed bc the creators couldn't agree.

I think Battlestar Galactica 2003 is one of the most brilliant shows of its era and also the finale, which happened when the creators intended it to, is really dumb, and that doesn't undo the fact that I loved everything else.

How I Met Your Mother ends really poorly in a way that arguably undercuts the whole series, but like, I still liked that too.

Ditto for Chuck, which also struggles in that it was on the chopping block most seasons so they kept ending in ways that probably weren't true to whatever the original vision may have been.

I saw Firefly on DVD after it had already been canceled, I think Serenity is good but I don't love all the choices, and Joss Whedon has since been revealed to be a dick but like, I enjoyed myself greatly while watching it.

As mentioned, Heroes. I didn't watch much TV until my teens anyway because we didn't have cable and our reception sucked and we were very much a book household, and this was one of the first series I recall watching from season 1 and it's also the first TV series where I was like yeah I don't care anymore, and it went on for 4 seasons and I think I gave up either late S2 or early S3.

I didn't watch Supernatural, Game of Thrones, nor Grey's Anatomy but all of those are famous for outstaying their welcome, sometimes it's better to burn out than fade away, etc.

I had already long outgrown Harry Potter and started to see its limitations by the time Rowling's transphobia became public but like, now it's not something I would ever recommend to my friends' kids or anything, and that doesn't undo the fact that I did greatly enjoy it as a child and teenager; it was indirectly the reason why I was introduced to the superior fantasy of Diana Wynne Jones, which I do still reread from time to time. (I think the "well I never liked it" mentality about works from artists who end up being terrible people is tied into the "I can't get invested in anything that might end in an unsatisfying manner." Tumblr University's media studies grads are not the brightest stars in the firmament, that's for sure.)

Like, cancellation (let alone cancellation specifically because of the unique shittiness of streaming services) is just one of the many reason things might end in a way you dislike or become difficult for you to enjoy at a later date, and that's just talking about television. Are you really going to deny yourself the joy of anticipation and watching a story unfold in real-time because the thought of something not satisfying you at every single turn is so unfathomable?

(oh, and because this is, as we know, a CR blog much of the time, I should add that this mentality is really pervasive which is wild because your average 3-season canceled Netflix show is probably the equivalent of maybe 9-10 CR episodes; thinking about how many people who now claim C2 is terrible watched 141 episodes and also the person who is iconic to me who unironically asked me what the point was in getting invested in characters who will die re: Chetney)

[theladyragnell]

i have my first ever dnd session next week and i’m. nervous-excited! any tips?

Oh, wonderful! I was about to demur and say I'm not an expert and take everything with a grain of salt, and then remembered I've been playing a game most weeks for most of the past decade and played two 1-20 campaigns and am now DMing another. So I guess maybe I do have some right to give advice?

Engage! Truly, this is the biggest piece of advice I can give you. You and your table are telling a story together, and it's a better story the more engaged people are. Be the kind of character who picks up plot threads the DM leaves dangling and chats with NPCs, be the kind of character who asks their party members about themselves, even if your charisma score isn't high. It doesn't take improv skills unless you're playing at a table that's recording a podcast or something, just a willingness to be curious, and it makes a huge difference.

Communicate. With your DM especially, but with your fellow players too. Let them know you're feeling nervous and might be a little shy but that you want to engage! If someone tries to engage you in roleplay, go for it and don't worry if you feel a little silly doing it. If you aren't having fun with an aspect of your character ("whoops, I should have taken a different rogue subclass") or the game ("heyyy, I didn't realize that killing wolves and elk would bother me so much, is there a plan to fight more magical monsters I'll feel less guilty about in the future?"), chat with your DM before it gets to be a bigger problem. And hopefully your table has chatted about triggers and systems to make sure you're all safe around that, a lot of tables do these days, but don't be shy about your needs.

Try to go with the tone presented! Hopefully your DM has told you what kind of game you're in, but a lot of table frictions can come when one player is playing Smeef Smeekle, jolly halfling weed dealer whose goal is to get into as much trouble as possible, and everyone else is playing A Team Of Heroes. Or, for that matter, when one person is playing Bluhdborne Pahth'ojenn, world's angstiest rogue, and everyone else is a fantasy k(obold)-pop band that fell into a dungeon (though comedy games do love a straight man, so that's mostly not fun for Bluhdborne).

Give kudos! When the DM or another player does something cool or creative, improvs a line that gives you chills, anything like that, let them know it! Either in the moment quickly, or after the session in some way. It can be a bit of an emotionally intense hobby, and it's nice to check in with your fellow players and tell them how awesome they are.

And last, some Common D&D Good Manners Things: in combat, have some idea of what your action is going to be before your turn comes around (some players make flowcharts, which I have never tried but might be your jam). Know your abilities as much as is realistic, and have descriptions of abilities and spells close to hand so your DM can ask you instead of looking them up. Take notes if you're playing longer than a one-shot, even if it's only a few words, both to keep yourself engaged and to give yourself the assist later when you need to remember whether this shopkeeper likes you or hates you.

Okay, that got very wordy! But really, just jump into the story, communicate with your table, and come at it with curiosity and collaboration, and it's hard to go wrong if your table is on the same page as you.

Enjoy!

[madbadash]

🎵🎵🎵 Album tag game 🎵🎵🎵

rules: share the albums that you can listen to nonstop. those lightning in a bottle-albums that scratch ur brain just right. every single track, an absolute banger. u could not skip one if u tried. no notes. stunning, show-stopping, immaculate. ur no-skip albums.

🔎 bonus & optional (but imo, v fun) rules: 1) add a track rec for us to listen to! AND 2) share ur favorite line(s) from that track! 👀

Now lowkey I'm cheating here because I don't really listen to albums in full and I would probably would skip at max like one song on each of these albums but I wanna participate in the game so I make the rules.

ANYWAYS thank you @bluecoolr for the tag

I will Tag @probably-a-plant-thing @bobeatspie300 @thelemoncoffee @boxtyphoon @toborusk and a cover all if you wanna do it do it!! Also these are all very low no pressure tags.

Billie Ellish- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We All Do?

Penelope Scott-Public Void

Mother Mother-Inside

Chonny Jash-The Will Wood Power Hour

Eliza Anastasic-The Grand Relics

Billie was my number one artist on Spotify for like 2 or 3 years in a row and she hasn't left my top 5 since I started listening to her. I fucking LOVE ilomilo

Lyrics: So, where did you go? I should know, but it's cold And I don't wanna be lonely So tell me you'll come home Even if it's just a lie

The fact I get all my music from Tiktok is showing ANYWAYS Penelope Scott has some bangin ass music. I actually associate this song with Steven, and if Bob is down and people are interested I can totally go into why.

Lyrics:You fuckers know it's all built on lies But the beast refuses to die And so I guess well neither can I

Mother Mother is the most basic gay people music but DO I CARE??? NOOOOO!!!!! I can and will add both Haylofts into Oc Playlists! Anyways this bitch got a funky rhythm and I like the way they sing. Also this is probably the album with the most skips but I make the rules I don't care I'mma put it anyways

Lyrics: I'm thinking, "Oh, my God, what a chatty creature" It just kept talking and talking and talking all around in a circle I said, "Hey, little guy, I think it's time to go now"

CHONNY I AM GONNA KISS YOU SO HARD OH MY GOD. YOU, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS, COVERING WILL WOOD??? MY OTHER TOP ARTIST. I AM CRAZY AND DERANGED

Now I do think you should listen to both versions of Thermodynamic Lawyer but I really like the lyric changes Chonny does so do whatever you want.

Lyrics:He'll rationalize rhymes 'til the T's and the I's Are re-crossed and re-dotted to a blur Blacks out his eyes, hides the lines, flays his thighs 'Til the-, they think that "he" is their "her"

Ok ok now hear me out. Hear me out here I know it's fucking weird but listen to me. Hear me the fuck out.

This is a fan-Album based on the Podcast The Adventure Zone Balance. Everyone should listen to Balance. It's a funny DND podcast. It is earnest, and stupid and funny and it has made me cry and if you don't have 69 hours to throw to this podcast (with the first 6 episodes being a bit rough as it's their first time playing) I HIGHLY recommend listening to their Current Arc: Vs Dracula. They all know what they're doing and they're doing it hilariously

Rant over. These songs are based on 7 magical objects that are collected by our main characters. These songs also include some clips from the podcast. I'm gonna rec the first one because its the least spoiler-y.

Lyrics: I'm a weapon of mass destruction That can literally fit on your hand So what are you waiting for? I'm thralling as hard as I can Go ahead and put me on- Gloves do not have long attention spans!

[tmgstudios]

Tips on Consuming Podcasts for Those With Short Attention Spans

hi there! your local podcast guy with adhd here! for a while i struggled to consume podcasts because of my short attention span, but over time i have developed a few tips and tricks and am now absolutely in love with the medium. these aren’t in any specific order, and hopefully some of these can be useful to others as well!

1. check out podcasts that have visual aspects

whether its the occasional visual bit or a set thats super interesting to look at, visual stimulation is key! i personally love the sets of tmg studio’s podcasts, so that plus the occasional visual bits mean i don’t get under-stimulated as quickly! this doesn’t always work however, so feel free to take it to the next level;

2. engage in something else visually stimulating while listening to your podcast of choice

for me this is usually video games. something like minecraft, that requires attention but not reading, tends to work the best personally, but i’m also definitely not against plowing through something like dead cells or hades as i laugh along to my favorite podcasts! it doesn’t have to be video games for you, whatever media/activity will allow you to be visually stimulated while not blocking your audio should do the trick. some of my friends like to play mobile games like subway surfers, and others like to play something on their browser like flight rising (specifically the coliseum. podcasts are a great way to get some coli grinding in)

3. listen while in motion

so this one might be a little confusing on first glance, but i literally had no other idea on how to write it. essentially, this means listening while physically in motion. whether you’re on a walk, folding laundry, or eating dinner, being physically in motion can help stimulate your brain.  this can ALSO extend to listen while in a moving vehicle, like a car or a plane. i personally love listening to podcasts as i stare out the window on road trips or plane rides. i have a ton downloaded just for this purpose. some people like to listen to podcasts while they drive, so that’s another thing you could try, just be careful it doesn’t distract you from the road to much!

4. take breaks

podcasts can be long, and you absolutely do not have to listen to them all in one go! 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, break it up however you need to. 

5. listen to podcasts you know are going to hold your interest

this might go without saying, but be sure you’re finding podcasts that cater to your interests. if you try to muscle your way through a podcast you aren’t interested in just because it’s popular/your friends like it, you won’t have a very good time. you like horror? listen to a horror podcast! dnd? find a dnd one! are you like me, and story-based podcasts stress you out? find a comedy podcast! the possibilities are endless

if you’ve got any tips & trick to add on, please please do so!!! i really love podcasts and the amount of people i’ve talked to who say they want to get into podcasts but just can’t sit through them, and it makes me sad. 

podcasts definitely aren’t for everyone, so if these tricks still don’t work for you, that’s ok! there are plenty of other forms of media out there. but that said, i hope anyone who’s wanted to get into podcasts but been unable to due to the medium gives these tips a shot!

if you’re not sure where to get started in terms of what podcasts to listen to, hit me up! i absolutely love podcasts, and while i tend to be a comedy guy myself, but have plenty of friends into other kinds of podcasts, and with all that knowledge combined i’m sure i can find you some good recs

good luck and happy podcasting!!

[ccelestialfox]

Do u draw?

who are some of your fav music artists?

what are somethings you are obsessed with lately

yea, I do draw. bit less lately but I have a sketchbook that I'm hoping to fill with random doodles as well as cool doodles. my most recent doodle has been my DnD character, Luna, a rabbit character who has a comically large hammer

Good Kid is an amazing band. I recently bought their "Good Kid Ep1 / Ep2" Vinyl and have fallen in love with the music there. my favorite song they've made is either "Witches" (very catchy, very cool -w-), or "Tell Me You Know" since that was the first song I heard from them

The Magnus Protocol, mostly, ooh! and Cult of the Lamb, I've been playing it and today I defeated Shamura for the first time!! I got pretty spoiled for the main story cause of tumblr.com, but I'm still having a very, very fun time with it. it's a great game and I plan to marry Narinder when I get the chance lmao

overall, I'm hoping to start a vinyl collection, specifically with Good Kid in it. vinyl is actually really good quality,, plus, physical media is always cool to have. also, The Magnus Podcast has kinda taken a backseat while I focus on other hyperfixations

[bear-cubs-art-things]

Its almost incredible how different my fixations are

First you got Super Crazy Rhythm Castle, a game literally NO ONE has heard about, therefore me and me alone makes up the entire fan base here

Then you got Cuphead, a really popular game back in. Like 2018 or some shit and has sorta died down in popularity and is a 1930s esque run n gun game.

Lastly you got Legends of Avantris, Once Upon A Witchlight specifically, a dnd yt series/podcast. Nothing more to that. And the fan base is big I presume.

H u h.

[snowangeldotmp3]

'i don't belong here' is poking at my curiosity pls 👀

hi dot!! <3

'i don't belong here' is a one shot i wanted to write a few months ago (and never got around to lol) and this post here from like 2 months ago is from the wip hehe.

basically: based on radiohead's creep, bc nobody knows that song better than a sad lesbian. idk i was feeling Sad and Lonely and needed to get it out before it ate me alive. so i decided to put robin through it as well. she feels like a creep for staring at nancy at a dnd game they'd all been roped into, but nancy is staring back, and robin's been feeling like even more of an outsider lately. i wanted to also play with robin's "my whole life feels like one big error" from season 3 and her lines from the podcast that are like "what if there's something about me that drives people away?" and the other line where she talks about there being something rotted inside of her.

that got longer than i thought. anyway, here's some stuff from that wip!

Robin’s dilemma is that Nancy won’t stop staring at her. She can feel Nancy’s stare on her, how it’s lighting her aflame and her body burns under Nancy’s stare. Robin refuses to look at her, to look back at her. Which is funny, because most of the time Robin can’t tear her eyes away from Nancy. Which… always makes Robin feel…weird. Gross. Like it’s Tammy Thompson all over again. She couldn’t help but stare, either, which was the worst part. Nancy was…for lack of a better word, gorgeous. Robin wished she could think of a better word, one that was better suited for Nancy, with her wild brunette curls and her big doe eyes and her determination and the way she can handle a gun and the way that her face scrunches up as she considers what choices Eddie’s laid out for the Party. It feels like the reverse of ‘I wanted her to look at me,’ because Nancy is indeed, looking, and it’s all Robin can do to not shrink further and further into the folding chair she’s in. Normally, she isn’t so intimidated by this. Robin and Nancy have been hanging out recently, too, and Robin’s learned the many micro expressions of Nancy Wheeler. This look, it feels different. Robin really doesn’t know how to explain it, she’s seen a similar look on Nancy’s face, but that one usually comes with knitted brows and a scowl. This one is free from that, Nancy’s face remains blank, unreadable. It’s almost a soft, yet still terrifying, intense stare; a contradiction in its own right, but one that perfectly describes her. This isn’t the first time Nancy’s eyes have burned into Robin, either, if her calculations are correct (which they are) this is the fourth time she’s caught Nancy staring at her this week. And it’s only Thursday.

[nomsfaultau]

(Not) Daily ask №32

I really don't think that I can keep up the 5 questions every single day thing. Procrastination gets the better of me : (

Isekai edition!

1. What is your favourite universe? Like a favourite show, game, book, etc.

2. What are your 3 favourite characters from that universe?

3 What is your favourite time period of the universe? Ex. Pogtopia arc for dsmp, an episode of a show, a scene from a book.

4. What is your favourite antagonist/villain from that universe?

5. BOOM fault crew gets into your favourite universe, in your favourite time period of the show, with your favourite characters finding them first and then they meet your favourite antagonist. How does that go?

There is completely no obligation to do anything ever, buddy. 

1.Really hard to look past the haze of Fault that’s been my brain for years. That said, I’ve been having an INSANELY good time with Taz vs Dracula recently. Essentially it’s a DND campaign where they go through a wacky gothic horror setting that’s very heavy on the comedy, all in the name of defeating Dracula. It incorporates a lot of free domain characters, so like Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse, King Arthur, the invisible man show up (or doesn’t, he’s a flakey POS). All with some crazy twist of course ofcours. Absolute blast. 

And no read more line because I’m proselytizing for this podcast now okay ok. 

2. Lady Godwin. She’s a posh old lady who got run over by Dracula and the Wolf Man (who is a bad influence on Dracula). She had a Frankenstein life policy but it got shut down due to bad business practice, and her head got stuck on a barbarian lady’s body. On top of that severe body dysphoria, Lady Godwin gets bitten by a were-horse and gets transported to the mental realm of Oats on occasion. She’s prim and huffy and goes into destructive rages. Perfect woman. 

Thumbs. Thumbs is a were-orangutan DJ for the Wolf Man’s nightclub, since he’s the only one with thumbs. There’s supposed to be a spell that allows everyone to communicate with one another, but he just speaks in monkey noises. Notably is banned from pushing the big red button on his DJ set up. BUt ooooooh man. Wants to. Deserves to. (this destroyed the were-house were-nightclub)

An. He’s an almost dead god of night with a dedicated cult and the Sword in the Stone jammed through his skull, pinning him in spot because evil cults don’t tend to have a lot of people pure of heart and rightful king of England material? Who knew. He’s so suave and has a major superiority complex and is so so so overtly evil but the DND party is just so chill about debating whether or not to free him. But An has searched all of the land to find the most Pure of Heart….and landed on Brother Phileaux, the monk currently sharing a Pinocchio body with THE Van Helsing. Who is an absolute little freak, mind, so I have absolutely zero idea why he’s trying to (in his own words) 4D chess manipulate Phileaux when he is pure by no one’s standards and also very dumb. It’s very hard to be a gaslight gatekeep girlbosser when dealing with stupid adventurers. Poor guy. He dies due to the redneck Mutt becoming the casual King of England, a reverse knock knock joke and the Toby Slayer*, and a cross that the interim-temporary Turbo Cardinal stole once. 

3. Episode 16 is my favorite part. Literally howling the entire time. Acquiring the Toby Slayer*, a legendary sword that obliterates anyone named Toby with. Yes this means they spend the rest of the campaign trying to name people Toby (nicknames, telling an amnesiac their name is Toby, shortening Turbo Cardinal to Toby (works because one of them is the king of England via authoritarian legends). They kill a god using the Toby slayer. This all happened because the DM tried to give last minute flavor text to a loot item. Casually water boarding the severed head of a Dracula clone while discussing if they could raise him to be the ‘good Dracula’. Meeting a crazy fish monster man with a basketball wife named Elizabeth, who is a druid that only turns into sports items. Taking a break from a revenge quest to play the sickest game of volleyball ever using said sports druid. Lady Godwin randomly biting a severed ear. The ENTIRE inventory situation of Phileaux, including teeth from a sea monster, said severed ear, and LITERALLY HIS OWN DEAD BODY SHRUNKEN DOWN INTO A LITTLE VILE. The offhand discussion about if Phileaux should make a flesh homunculous using spare Dracula clone parts. I think this TAZ episode made me laugh the most, though the Steeplechase campaign where they went on the trashiest dating show ever was so choice too. Schlebethany my beloved….

4. DRACULA. Oh my god he’s soooooooo fun. Might be my favorite villain ever. Absolute love to hate character, except he’s so funny and charismatic that it’s hard to hate him even though like terrible evil dude. But he’s also a complete dork, and cringes about his ‘wizard phase’ and opines about how everyone wants to kill him :( so rude. He had a toxic BFF relationship with the Wolf Man but had to cut him out for being a ‘bad influence’ (HE IS DRACULA THIS MAN IS THE WORST). He helps Mutt (protag) pull out his fangs to make earrings. All of his clones insist they’re ‘the good’ Dracula. Dracula had an unrequited romantic relationship with Dr. Frankenstein, and is now in a love triangle with him and another Dracula clone, who wants to kill OG Drac for breaking Frankenstein’s heart. He is a staunch supporter of the fine arts. So far I think he might be trying to mind control an entire town/end the world (?) via evil airpods because he can’t get one song out of his head from when he was a kid. And also so he doesn’t have to drink blood anymore because it’s yucky >.<

Like. Just listen to him:

“Dear diary.

How come everybody wants to kill Dracula?

I mean, the people whose villages I’ve razed to the ground, whose family trees I’ve so thoroughly pruned, them I understand. But how did my vulnerabilities become the topic of casual dinner table conversation? I don’t talk about the weaknesses of mortal men, and Lord knows I could. I may be biased, but it seems these days that haters are coming at me left, right, and center…(enter SICK MUSIC RIFF)

5.Tubbo will get obliterated. No help for it. The SECOND the DND party finds out their name, the Toby Slayer is going to come out. Thems the rules. Or they’d try, but the Fault crew would step in and then the DND party would be really chill and laid-back, brushing off the murder attempt while everyone else is freaking out. Tubbo would probably try to convince Phileaux to work more with Van Helsing on the semi system thing. Overall freaked out about how casual murder is here. Second, Wilbur is having a bad time due to the permanent eternal night upon the land. Oh well. Flashlights may or may not exist, since we have both horse-drawn carriages and Honda elontras show up? Good luck lmao. Phileaux could probably cast light on a pointed Pinocchio hat for him. But would be wayyy too interested in getting samples from the void. Tommy thinks it’s spooky as hell. Maybe Elizabeth could teach him the cantrip Shape Water, which would solve 99% of his problem if he can artificially control Red. Wait. And he can touch Brother Phileaux! That’s big for him, until Phileaux says something offputting and oh muffin that wasn’t a joke- The Blade is really vibing with Mutt, since, ranger. They’re also very blunt and straight forward characters. And he’d love Lady Agatha (dog). Probably Lady Godwin too for their similar rage modes, but the comments about curvaceousness would make him awkward. I really really really want Philza to party with the Wolf Man. But the auto killing any non were-person would be a damper on the relationship. And Philza isn’t at random haha murder philosophy atm, so would probably not hang even if he can pass. Ah wait forgot he’s super duper beheaded by this point of the series, moot point. He can definitely gel with Lady Godwin and Elizabeth about getting lost in the sauce re: body, be it the plane of horses, basketballs, or dragons. 

Now I could go on and on about how the existence of monsters casually in society both as threats and friends would drastically be eye opening for the Fault guys, etc etc, however they’re in the middle of a swamp at the moment. 

As for plot: The Blood God would be extremely hyped about the cult of the Buried Blood! …until he finds out it isn’t about him. Booo what kind of god gets half murdered? Loser. I figure the Fault crew would pick up An’s rank vibes way more than the DND party bothered to act on, the manipulation is pretty blatant. Tubbo is absolutely fuming about not being pure of heart, and that the random redneck did it through the power of rats. Tommy is desperate to become the king of England, and is infuriated because none of the DND guys know what England even is. 

Probably a lot less impressive to kill a god when you have like 3 on your team, but-

Everyone is down on the killing Dracula thing. Even Tubbo I think, given how evil he is. Would prefer a different method! But it’s looking like world ending stakes so maybe it’s okay. As for actually meeting the real OG Dracula? The campaign hasn’t gotten there, so I can’t even guess. But the fact both universes have potentially world ending songs is really funny. Based on vibes, Philza, Tommy, and The Blade think Dracula is absolutely great and kinda forget they’re there to kill him. Philza definitely sympathetic on the curse of immortality thing. Dracula doesn’t pass Wilbur’s vibe check at all, thinks he’s sleezy, and Tubbo can see way too much of the mind control stuff happening to brush it off. Like if they can manage to hate friendly Philza the charisma isn’t going to mean much. 

Probably ends up trying to suck Tommy’s blood, getting Red’d, and having the most balls to the walls insane fight scene ever. Man I can’t wait for the finale.