Our last episode threw the PCs a twist, adventure fans, with the unexpected appearance of a brown dragon! In this episode, number 77, we continue our adventure “Enter the Dragon,” which we recorded on January 16, 2010. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Hannah Lipsky, a.k.a. Swordgleam, of Chaotic Shiny Productions calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly recap the battle between the PCs and the toughskin raiders, as well as the sudden appearance of a brown dragon.
• The Weather Report: With the toughskins on the run, the PCs turn their attention to the dragon, who claims a familiar name and invites our heroes to its lair!
• The Prop Shop: I describe the repainted Flame Snake and Displacer Serpent miniatures that I used to represent the dragon’s companions; you can see photos in the extended show notes. I also identify the Weird and Wild Creatures line from International Masters Publishers as the source of my coloration patterns. My FRP Games pick of the episode is the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Savage Encounters set, available from FRP Games in booster packs or cases of eight packs.
• Sea Shanties: This episode features the tracks “Racing the Wind” and “Gallows Jig” from the album Phantoms of the High Seas by Nox Arcana, ©2008 Monolith Graphics; “Attack of the Wyvern” by Erika Lieberman, ©2009 Sonic Legends; and “Amun Ra” from the album Amun Ra by Medwyn Goodall, ©2008 MG Music. All tracks were used by permission of the copyright holders.

I hope that you enjoy(ed) listening to “Enter the Dragon, Part 4,” and that you’ll join us again when the campaign continues in “What Lay Beneath, Part 1!”

I have more to say about this …

Let’s try to make up for lost time, adventure fans! If I can push out an episode every day or two throughout July we just might reach convergence with the actual live sessions when the campaign resumes after our summer hiatus. In episode 76, we present “Enter the Dragon, Part 3,” which we recorded on January 16, 2010. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Andrew Wilson of Silent7Seven Games calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly set the stage for the ongoing battle that occupies the entirety of this episode’s actual play.
• The Weather Report: The battle between the PCs and the toughskin raiders continues, although the toughskins seem eager to abandon the fight. This episode introduces a new combatant into the fray: the titular dragon!
• The Prop Shop: I describe the scenery setup for the battle, including my use of e-Adventure Tiles: Desert Bluffs from SkeletonKey Games. However, I made a mistake in the audio: this time around, I did not actually use the desert background from the Starship Troopers Floorplans product—I had intended to do so, but forgot to get it out when setting up the table.My FRP Games pick of the episode is, appropriately, the new Desert of Athas set of Dungeon Tiles from Wizards of the Coast (and I have no idea why FRP Games uses the back cover as the product image in their online store).

I hope that you enjoy(ed) listening to “Enter the Dragon, Part 3,” and that you’ll return for “Enter the Dragon, Part 4″!

I have more to say about this …

After a two-week hiatus resulting from family and professional travel, during which I had my handy H2 recorder with me but no quiet space in which to record, Icosahedrophilia triumphantly returns with “Enter the Dragon, Part 2,” presented in episode 75. We played and recorded this adventure on January 16, 2010. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Chris Tulach of the RPGA calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly set the stage for the ongoing battle that occupies the entirety of this episode’s actual play.
• The Weather Report: The battle between the PCs and the toughskin raiders—all taking place between a large rift in the desert floor and an intense sandstorm, bearing down fast on the combatants—continues unabated.
• The Prop Shop: I describe the miniatures I used for the enemy combatants in this adventure: Tusken Raiders from the Star Wars Miniatures game, Huge Fiendish Spiders (one repainted), and two repainted Snaketongue Cultists (see the extended show notes for a photo). My FRP Games pick of the episode is Player’s Handbook Races: Tieflings.

I hope that you enjoy(ed) listening to “Enter the Dragon, Part 2,” and that you’ll return for “Enter the Dragon, Part 3″!

I have more to say about this …

During week of May 30–June 5, 2010, I reviewed the following products for DriveThruRPG:

• Dwarven City by Randin Graves for Sonic Legends. “Dwarven City” is another good offering from Randin Graves, who also contributed “Dark Ritual” to the Sonic Legends line. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★
• ICONS by Steve Kenson for Adamant Entertainment. I came late to the ICONS hype party, and missed out on the first wave of preorders. Therefore, I rushed to DriveThruRPG at 12:03 AM on June 1 to purchase the PDF edition. I’ve lost a few hours of sleep since then staying up late to read the rules, and I’m pleased to report that ICONS lives up to its advance billing. Aside from a few grammatical and typographical errors (for which I’d subtract half a star if the rating system allowed half-stars), ICONS is a wonderful product, with a solid rules set, entertaining prose, and artwork that produces a look and feel perfectly matching the game’s tone. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★★★
• Palace of the Galactic Emperor by Christy Carew for Sonic Legends. “Palace of the Galactic Emperor” by Christy Carew does a great job of evoking a cinematic sense of epic power. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★★

By purchasing any of these items through the links supplied here, you help to support the Icosahedrophilia blog and podcast.

If you can’t handle the combat, stay out of the desert! That’s what our heroes will learn in “Enter the Dragon,” a four-part Icosahedrophilia adventure arc that kicks off in episode 74. We played and recorded this adventure on January 16, 2010. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Erika Lieberman of Sonic Legends calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly describe the ending of “Desert of Desolation.” I also explain why three months passed between the sessions in which we recorded “Desert of Desolation” and “Enter the Dragon,” and introduce a new player to the podcast audience. I also introduce the podcast’s exciting new feature: background music!
• The Weather Report: The PCs find themselves trapped between a large rift, a sandstorm, and two groups of toughskin raiders. Roll initiative!
• The Prop Shop: Since the big new thing in this episode is background music, my FRP Games pick of the episode is the CD Blood of the Dragon by Nox Arcana. Our theme and bumper music comes from their album Phantoms of the High Seas, not sold by FRP Games but available in the Icosahedrophilia aStore. I also recommend soundscapes by Sonic Legends, available as MP3s from DriveThruRPG.

I hope that you enjoy(ed) listening to “Enter the Dragon, Part 1,” and that you’ll stay aboard for “Enter the Dragon, Part 2″!

I have more to say about this …

It’s that time again, adventure fans! Episode 73of the Icosahedrophilia podcast offers you “Desert of Desolation, Part 4,” played on September 26, 2009. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Jeff Greiner, host of the Tome Show, calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly describe the ending of “The Sands of Time” and the events of parts 1–3 of “Desert of Desolation.” As usual, I refer listeners to the “Story Thus Far” episode for summaries of the campaign to date. In the last couple of episodes, our heroes came upon a ruined sailing ship—half-buried in desert sands—called the Sundered Oath. To no one’s surprise, the adventurers got into a conflict with the belligerent ghostly crew. At the end of “The Sands of Time, Part 6,” Lithian’s well-timed bluff brought an end to the hostilities. However, Lithian’s bluff broke down in “Desert of Desolation, Part 1,” and hostilities resumed, continuing even into part 4 of the adventure.
• The Weather Report: The battle between the crews of the Sundered Oath and the Broken Promise finally ends, and the PCs level up!
• The Prop Shop: The portion of this adventure following the fight didn’t introduce any new props at the table. It did, however, feature some kind of failure on the SD card in my Zoom H2 recorder, so I missed out on the last half hour to hour of the actual play. It was mostly travel through the desert, though, using a clunky skill challenge. You didn’t miss much. My FRP Games pick of the episode is Crystal Caste hybrid ten-die sets, available in translucent red, green, blue, purple, orange, clear, and teal.

I hope that you enjoyed the “Desert of Desolation” adventure, and that you’ll stay on board for our next adventure, “Enter the Dragon”! We won’t have Bruce Lee, but we will have a martial artist … and a dragon!

I have more to say about this …

We’re back, adventure fans, to present you with “Desert of Desolation, Part 3″ played on September 26, 2009. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel of Blackdirge Publishing and Goodman Games calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly describe the ending of “The Sands of Time” and the events of parts 1–2 of “Desert of Desolation.” As usual, I refer listeners to the “Story Thus Far” episode for summaries of the campaign to date. In the last couple of episodes, our heroes came upon a ruined sailing ship—half-buried in desert sands—called the Sundered Oath. To no one’s surprise, the adventurers got into a conflict with the belligerent ghostly crew. At the end of “The Sands of Time, Part 6,” Lithian’s well-timed bluff brought an end to the hostilities. However, Lithian’s bluff broke down in “Desert of Desolation, Part 1,” and hostilities resumed, continuing throughout “Desert of Desolation, Part 2″.
• The Weather Report: The battle between the crews of the Sundered Oath and the Broken Promise continues some more. This was a long fight!
• The Prop Shop: There’s not much to add to what’s gone before, since we’re continuing the same battle. My FRP Games pick of the episode is Three-Dragon Ante: Emperor’s Gambit, a new standalone card game from Wizards of the Coast.

I hope that you enjoy “Desert of Desolation, Part 3,” and that you’ll follow the storyline into “Desert of Desolation, Part 4″!

I have more to say about this …

Heave to, adventure fans! The Icosahedrophilia podcast is back with “Desert of Desolation, Part 2″ played on September 26, 2009. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or plain old RSS. This episode features the following segments:

• Weighing Anchor: David Gibb of the Temporary Hit Points blog and podcast calls for your initiative roll.
• The Staging Area: I briefly describe the ending of “The Sands of Time” and the events of “Desert of Desolation, Part 1.” As usual, I refer listeners to the “Story Thus Far” episode for summaries of the campaign to date. In the last couple of episodes, our heroes came upon a ruined sailing ship—half-buried in desert sands—called the Sundered Oath. To no one’s surprise, the adventurers got into a conflict with the belligerent ghostly crew. At the end of “The Sands of Time, Part 6,” Lithian’s well-timed bluff brought an end to the hostilities. However, Lithian’s bluff broke down in “Desert of Desolation, Part 1,” and hostilities resumed.
• The Weather Report: The battle between the crews of the Sundered Oath and the Broken Promise continues.
• The Prop Shop: There’s not much to add to what’s gone before, since we’re continuing the same battle. My FRP Games pick of the episode is actually a superhero RPG, the new ICONS game by Steve Kenson, published by Adamant Entertainment. You can pre-order the physical book from FRP Games or purchase the PDF from DriveThruRPG.

I hope that you enjoy “Desert of Desolation, Part 2,” and that you’ll return when the campaign continues in “Desert of Desolation, Part 3″!

I have more to say about this …

During week of May 23–29, 2010, I reviewed the following products for DriveThruRPG:

• Avalon Design Elements: Parchment Set 2 by Avalon Game Company. “Parchment Set 2″ includes one TIFF file designed to look like a piece of parchment paper, plus about a dozen accents that you can add to the page. The artwork is well done, though—to me—not particularly inspiring. ★★★
• Blessed by Poison by Sneak Attack Press. The “hook” for this adventure is a bit of a cliché: local hero goes missing, and the PCs are hired to find him. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★
• Critical Mass by Vigilance Press. According to the introduction to “Critical Mass,” the product’s goal is to “give a busy GM a quick scenario with everything he needs.” The product meets this goal … (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★
• Plans from the XXth Century by Three Fourteen Games. This evocative product puts a new twist on the usual map set product. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★★
• Seer Delight by Spellbook Games. If you run a fantasy game in which your PCs have access to oracles or fortune-tellers, and you’d enjoy answering their questions by rolling on random tables, you might appreciate the bulk of “Seer Delight.” (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★
• -U-: The Game of Stories by A’n'SR Entertainments. -U-: The Game of Stories is a very basic and flexible rules-light role-playing game, especially well-suited for players who have never experienced a role-playing game before. (Read more at DriveThruRPG.) ★★★