tl;dr A piece of garbage. Players who are grown men who should know better get slurring drunk and play D&D. Their characters torture and sexually assault a defenseless prisoner. They then abandon their quest and head off into the world, abandoning one member of their party.
Critical Role: Campaign 2 – Curious Beginnings
tl;dr Long and theatrical first episode with a massive number of party members and way too many world-building details to keep track of. The PCs are interesting and well-played, maybe a little heavy on the tieflings, but the colour seems to depend more on improv chops than collaborative world-building skills. GMing this show seems exhausting.
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Critical Hit: Urban Shadows — You Did Get a Free Advance
tl;dr Rules-lawyering about advances and taking new moves in Urban Shadows takes up almost a quarter of the show. We catch up with Rob’s and Stephen’s characters, which saves this interstitial episode, but party dynamics are becoming really unstable.
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The Adventure Zone: Amnesty – Episode 5
tl;dr The finale for the Amnesty arc holds few surprises but cinematic storytelling and great characterization raise this episode above the average. It all feels like a lot of work for the end of a mini-arc, though.
The Adventure Zone explained
Wondering what all the hubbub over The Adventure Zone is all about? Missed some episodes and want to get all caught up? Our explainer covers what’s going on with the show and why you should care. WARNING: plot summaries and character details inside!
Shadow of the Cabal: Episode 1
tl;dr An original and surprising murder mystery with interesting characters and engrossing clues, rendered almost incomprehensible because of the flurry of names, places, and concepts, making it a rough way to enter this series
Live at the Table: Bluff City – There Is No Greater Love Part 1
tl;dr Compelling story in a fascinating noir setting, pushed forward by all the players who bring their best to the game, bogged down occasionally by player and GM confusion about Noirlandia’s weirdo rules and resolution mechanics
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The Seven Deadly Sins of Actual-Play RPG Podcasts
Making actual-play RPG podcasts is hard — really hard. So it’s kind of incredible that GMs and players keep putting the same bad habits between themselves and success. Here’s a list of some of the most glaring mistakes that AP podcasts make, and some suggestions for how to fix them.
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Critical Hit: Urban Shadows – The Goblin Market Has Rules
tl;dr A high-action session featuring PvP combat and daring attacks, marred by many minutes of rules lawyering.
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Redemption Podcast: Episode 101 – Interview with the Jedi
tl;dr The interesting conceit of this first episode has its positive sides, but ultimately fails to present the party and the universe in an engaging way.
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