The fourteenth episode of the Icosahedrophilia podcast breaks new ground, or makes new waves, or something like that with the beginning of our fourth adventure, “The Book of L’aif” (recorded October 4, 2008). Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes. This episode features the following segments:

• The Staging Area: Taking a cue from many fine (and mediocre, or even downright bad) television shows, this episode’s recap consists of actual clips from earlier podcasts.
• The Weather Report: Following a rumor they picked up on Isla Calipha, the PCs sail to Karnathi in search of the Book of Life.
• The Prop Shop: In a new, enhanced prop shop, I offer a little bit of DMing advice as well as the usual shout-outs and previews of things to come.

For more detailed show notes, please keep reading after the jump. Thanks for listening to “The Book of L’aif, Part 1,” and please join us again soon for “The Book of L’aif, Part 2″!

The Staging Area

At the end of our first adventure, “The End Is the Beginning” (a title partially inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins’ contributions to the Batman and Robin album), a powerful wizard named Gretchen VanFleet transported the Broken Promise—with the PCs aboard—to the other side of their world, plucking them out of a swarm of strange creatures invading their home town of Stormhaven. In the middle of combat in a driving storm, Gretchen told two or three of the PCs in earshot to “drown it back to sleep” using a ritual from the Book of Life, which they could find in a place whose name starts with the syllable /ka/ or /kə/—the PCs couldn’t be quite sure, because Gretchen was swept out to sea by a strange flying creature.

In our third adventure, “Isla Calipha,” our heroes asked after the Book of Life. One of the sea captains “vacationing” on Isla Calipha told the PCs of an island called Karnathi, colonized by a group of religious zealots who try to order their lives and society by following the teachings of the Book of Life.

The Weather Report

Following up on the rumor they heard on Isla Calipha, the crew of the Broken Promise set sail for Karnathi. Upon arriving at Karnathi, the PCs were accosted by a goblin who demanded that they leave, “by order of Urlglar the Vicious.” When the PCs refused to depart, a firefight with the goblin crew ensued—its outcome not yet resolved by end of this episode’s actual play segment.

The Prop Shop

Honoring a request by listener Midnite, I injected some DMing/gameplay advice into this edition of the Prop Shop. Mostly, my advice for this episode consists of referring listeners to other podcasts that give DMing advice. You can find dozens of these at RPGPodcasts.com.

In addition to the usual PC miniatures, I used the following D&D Miniatures to represent the goblins who confront the PCs in this segment of the adventure:

Goblin Sneak (Harbinger)

Graypeak Goblin Archer (Unhallowed)

Goblin Adept (Deathknell)

We also used the following miniatures-scale map or tile products in the play segment presented in episode 14:

e-Adventure Tiles by SkeletonKey Games			GameMastery Flip-Mats by Steel Sqwire/Paizo
Adventure Town Wharf	High Seas Warship	High Seas Dragon Ship	Ship

To see a picture of my all-purpose wharf layout using the SKG tiles, please check out the very first set of show notes for the Icosahedrophilia podcast. And if you want to know what happens next, with Drak’ith lying prone and unarmed, arrows and bolts and hexes flying everwhere, and Berrian’s fiery magic consuming the goblins’ ship … well, you’ll just have to listen to episode 15, in which we will present “The Book of L’aif, Part 2″!