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Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST). Find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. If you enjoy the pod, please rate or review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
50 Episodes
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We talk about some recent instances of intra-party conflict (when some of our player characters had... disagreements with one another), the benefits and potential drawbacks of that sort of roleplay, and how to navigate it so that everyone still has fun at the table. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at http...
We make up a dumb spell-of-the-week: https://tychostales.com/articles/sharizes-charm-differential-etherealness/ Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
This episode contains a bunch of spoilers for The Wheel of Time. Obviously :) Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about Michael E. Shea's excellent essay on spiral campaign development, from the Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding Volume 2 (Kobold Press). Michael also goes by Sly Flourish, and you can find a version of this essay on his website: https://slyflourish.com/spiral_campaign_building.html. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out mor...
We continue our chat with Matt about his experience playing D&D for the first time; character sheet nostalgia; player preparation etiquette; and, for some reason, again, LARPing. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the K...
We're joined by special guest Matt to chat about his first time playing D&D. We talk about how difficult it is to get into roleplaying; discovering creativity; bad habits; and the possibly apocryphal Ocean Schlaggermine. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are release...
We talk about the horrific film Mazes and Monsters; one-shots; guest appearances; and roleplaying serious characters. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We're back with new listener mail about The Lord of the Rings; we complain with no self-awareness or irony about negativity and clickbait from TTRPG content creators; and Walt gets some suspicious beads. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 ...
We talk about metagaming, different types of encounters, healing in tabletop and video RPGs, and low-stakes combat. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We're about to make characters for a new campaign, so we talk about how we think about character motivations, alignment and backstories; how you should use your own personality; the relationship between min-maxing and roleplaying; and why it's always a work in progress. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at ...
We talk about spells we'd like to take in real life, and why The Lord of the Rings is still so damn good. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about the relative value of a life; inherent evil in modern fantasy; and RPGs as vehicles for moral questions. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
The story of the first time I used the classic Cleric feature, Divine Intervention. Note that my interpretation of a d100 is inconsistent with rules as written; I've written at length about why I think the official rules are bonkers. Referenced in this episode: Power Word: Spill Bob World Builder Dragon of Icespire Peak Storm Lord's Wrath Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons a...
We make a level two Fighter using the 2024 rules. It's recommended only to listen to this episode if you have a great disdain for your own time. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about audiobooks, Discworld, The Name of the Wind, Game of Thrones, the Stormlight Archive and Cosmere RPG, and other nerdy things. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about our recent one-shot, The Hangover. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
In which Stringybutt Lotsalegs has her special day. Music by Robert Mullis, Olivia Moore and Tabletop Audio. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
The gang goes to Fellbarrow... Music by Olivia Moore, Calum Robertson, and Aim to Head. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about our upcoming actual-play homebrew one-shot, The Hangover. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about dungeons. (No dragons though.) And puzzles. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We talk about LLMs in tabletop RPGs, Wild Shapes, the danger of jumping to conclusions, and NPC personalities. The 'jumping to conclusions' chapter contains some minor spoilers for the Storm Lord's Wrath module. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesd...
We're back with a GM support group, where we talk about directing player characters, low-prep campaigns, and preparing NPCs before environments. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
This week we talk about the state of the tabletop RPG scene, including recent WoTC drama, and competition among different systems. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
This episode contains minor spoilers for the Riftwar Saga book series by Raymond E. Feist. Welcome to our inaugural fantasy book club episode! Besides talking about a few fantasy books, we talk about an alternative mana system for managing spell slots, and some controversial takes on fudging numbers and dice rolls. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text mes...
We wonder whether a gritty-realism campaign would actually be fun, and talk about AD&D's resurrection mechanic, the rarity of magic, righteous and wrong character decisions, wish fulfilment and roleplaying the apocalypse. Referenced in this episode: Wyloch's Armory - I bought a sealed D&D 2nd Edition Starter Set for $350......let's unbox it. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder...
In this episode, we talk about currency and the economy in TTRPGs, why you should consider playing a Druid if you're planning on becoming an evil mastermind, and living with the consequences of your actions. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tue...
We talk about our magical evening at The Golden Gnome, Little Beer Quarter's fantasy alter-ego. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
We're reviewing all of the changes to classes in D&D's 2024 rules update; this time, the Sorcerer! We cover changes to the spellcasting rules and existing features Font of Magic, Metamagic and Sorcerous Restoration; as well as new features Innate Sorcery, Sorcery Reincarnate and Arcane Apotheosis. We also cover changes to the four included subclasses: Draconic Bloodline, Wild Magic, Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul. Referenced in this episode: 2024 Sorcerer vs. 2014 Sorcerer:...
We're reviewing all of the changes to classes in D&D's 2024 rules update; this time, the Fighter! We cover changes to Fighting Styles, Second Wind and Indomitable; as well as new features Weapon Mastery, Tactical Mind, Tactical Shift, Tactical Master and Studied Attacks. We also cover changes to the the four included subclasses: Battle Master, Champion, Eldritch Knight and Psi Warrior. Referenced in this episode: New Fighter | 2024 Player's Handbook | D&D 2024 Fight...
We're reviewing all of the changes to classes in D&D's 2024 rules update; this time, the Wizard! We cover changes to cantrips, the number of prepared spells, spellcasting foci and Spell Mastery; as well as new features Scholar and Memorize Spell. We also take a look at the updated subclass Savant feature, and dive into the four included subclasses: Abjurer, Diviner, Evoker and Illusionist. Referenced in this episode: D&D's NEW Wizard | D&D 2024 | How good is it? ...
We're reviewing all of the changes to classes in D&D's 2024 rules update, starting with the Barbarian! We cover changes to Rage, Danger Sense and Relentless Rage, as well as a bunch of new features including Weapon Mastery, Primal Knowledge, Instinctive Pounce, Brutal Strike, and the Epic Boon. We also cover changes to the existing two subclasses, Path of the Berzerker and Path of the Wild Heart (formerly Totem Warrior), as well as the two new subclasses (at least to the base PHB), Path o...
This episode contains minor spoilers for Exandria Unlimited: Calamity and the Mistborn series. In this GM support group episode, we talk about making three-dimensional antagonists; gods and religion; improvisational and empathetic GMing; political systems; safe NPCs; and the fact that nobody ever thinks the same way that you do. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by se...
We talk about the implications for multiclassing of One D&D's standardisation of subclasses at level three, and our experiences GMing and playing in campaigns in the Feywild. Referenced in this episode: A Wanderer's Guide to the Feywild Tome of Beasts Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us a...
What's the difference between LARPing and cosplay? Is a PhD in philosophy worth it? We've also brought back our much-lauded Spell of the Week segment courtesy of Walt just wanting to play a barbarian, and Lars takes us back to school. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Epis...
In this GM support group episode, we talk about what makes a good one-shot for audiences vs home games; Brennan Lee Mulligan; and reasonable people in unreasonable worlds. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis,...
In this episode, we talk about the most important thing that players can bring to the table; what we found surprising in our campaigns; unintended consequences of d100s; accidentally learning about ourselves through our characters; and our incredibly unqualified opinions on LARPing. This last part was basically recorded to give us a bunch of content for future Correction of the Week segments; you're welcome. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplayi...
In this episode, we talk in depth about multi-phase combat encounters, how we think about lore and worldbuilding, and why you shouldn't get too attached to things. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every W...
This episode contains a bunch of spoilers for the D&D and Lego collaboration adventure, Red Dragon's Tale. We talk about our experiences building the set, and playing and GMing the adventure, including what we thought about the Lego itself, the character builds, itemization, storyline, pacing, combat encounters, and overall reflections on the adventure. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and P...
Welcome to the inaugural GM support group! These episodes have a slightly different format to our usual ones; we just sit around and yarn about what's recently been top of mind in our campaigns. We talk about what it's like when players or GMs have off days; the reality that it can be really hard work to run a campaign (but is ultimately totally worth it); how difficult it can be to let go of your world and let your players basically ruin everything; how you might tie in characters motivati...
In part two of our discussion on how to make low-level combat more interesting, we talk about alternative ways to wrap up combat that don't involve the enemy NPCs being killed (such as fleeing or surrendering, or potentially ending combat narratively); why you usually shouldn't modify monster stats on the fly, even if things are going badly; and a bunch of ways to modify stats prior to combat, to keep things interesting for your players. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast ...
Low-level combat is often mechanically simple, and this can lead to potentially boring encounters, particularly if players are used to the range of abilities available with higher-level characters. In this two-part series, we discuss why low-level combat can sometimes fall short, and provide a bunch of ways to spice things up. In part one, we talk about how to make the opponents more interesting (giving them a personality, some prior relationship with the party, perhaps some emotional investm...
This week's episode is a grab-bag of random topics, including the role of deities in tabletop RPGs; whether warlocks should lose their powers if they have a falling-out with their patron; the abomination that is Leomund's Tiny Hut; a new movie review segment; note-taking at the table; and, of course, our regular Spell of the Week section in which we abjectly fail to talk about a spell, and instead talk about rations. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop rolepl...
Elly and Lars join us again to wrap up our discussion on multiclassing in 5e. We go into a bit more detail on how spellcasting works when you're mixing two casters together, then do a semi-deep-dive into each class (except Rangers, for some reason; we blame Walt for this). Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us ...
Heds and Walt are joined by special guests Elly and Lars to talk about multiclassing in 5e! We yarn about why you might want to multiclass; some need-to-know details around ability score prerequisites and some other limitations; do a deep dive on how proficiencies work, and implications for choosing your starting class; and talk about how you might roleplay a multiclassed character. We also debut a new segment, which will surely be an instant hit: Correction of the Week! This one's a t...
Why are taverns so cosy for roleplaying games? In how much detail should you describe that NPC in the corner? Should you leave your axe at the door? Is it worth it to spend a bunch of time crafting 3d terrain, or are 2d combat encounters perfectly fine? Is this too many questions for a podcast episode description? Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text messag...
What do people mean when they talk about "the meta", or "metagaming"? What are a few meta (or off-meta) feats and abilities? How about some OP combinations? We give our customary GM tip-of-the-week, and finish with a shout out to all the rogues in the house who spend most of their time running around corners. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an ema...
Pretty much everyone uses some sort of variant rule for 5e's Inspiration or PF2e's Hero Points. We talk about some of the issues with these metacurrencies using rules-as-written, as well as a bunch of variant or homebrew rules to spice things up a bit. Referenced in the episode: - https://rpgbot.net/metacurrencies-remastered-from-hero-points-to-inspiration-rpgbot-podcast-s4e15/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6n_LDCEj4 Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podc...
Should you choose your class based on existing characters, or just YOLO it? How do you manage combat when you have a large group of player characters? Exactly how screwed is your Bladesinger Wizard when your Cleric casts Silence? For any statisticians in the room, this one's dedicated to you. This episode has minor spoilers for the Dragon of Icespire Peak module. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pa...
This episode contains spoilers for the Dragon of Icespire Peak D&D module. We review the Dragon of Icespire Peak module from the D&D Essentials Kit, from the perspective of both a GM running the game, and also players experiencing it. The module takes new characters from level 1 to 6, culminating in a (hopefully) epic encounter with the eponymous dragon. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons ...
We yarn about our first experiences playing a tabletop RPG (in this case, D&D 5e). How did you get into it? What was it like jumping into roleplaying with a bunch of strangers? Is there anything you wish you knew before starting? We finish up by dispensing a couple of tips of questionable quality for players and GMs, new and experienced alike. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in...
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