According to DM Bill, Jayson sounds like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, and Nick sounds like Drew Carey. He didn’t give Vince a dopplegänger, but Vince did do a pretty good William Shatner voice in this issue, so now all you listeners have a face to put to the voice for Vince as well. Here
The book in our library this week is Quag Keep, the first novel ever written in a Dungeons & Dragons setting. I stated that this book was out of print, and quickly learned from a listener possessing the Power of Google that there is, in fact, a current printing available: Quag Keep on Amazon
This week is the first episode of our ongoing serial, telling the tale of Thane, a cleric of Heironeous shipwrecked on the coast of the Pomarj.
The beholder is one of the oldest and most enduring icons from AD&D, and we felt it appropriate to bring it up during one of our early episodes. In fact, the article “Ecology of the Beholder” by Ed Greenwood and Roger E. Moore in Dragon #76 was the inspiration for the Creature Feature as a
We’re not collectors, we’re players – but that means our TSR books end up with wear and tear, and can even lose their binding. If you’re pulling out dusty tomes that saw a lot of action in your teenage years, there’s a fair chance that they’re not in mint condition. While there are plenty of
Week number 3 talks about re-binding your old hardcover books, and features a mysterious scroll delivered from the world of Greyhawk… This week’s chapters: Re-binding your books Letters From Greyhawk: Thane’s Tale Creature Feature Theater: The Beholder Playing Tips: Alignment The Dragon’s Hoard: Glowing Globe Sticker’s Spotlight: Keeping Track of… The Library: Quag Keep media.blubrry.com/rfipodcast/archive.org/download/RollForInitiativeVol1/RFI003.mp3Podcast:
Week number two has our first interview, a discussion about where to find the books we all need, and it’s our first show as a member of the D20 radio network! Show notes for this episode: Where to find 1st edition AD&D books Creature Feature: The Automaton Game Mechanics: V,S,M: All about Magic-User spells The
The interview in show #2 is with Erik Brynjolffson, creator of Dragonfire and Dragonfire II: The Dungeonmaster’s Assistant. These days, Erik is the Schussel Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Director of the MIT Center for Digital Business. We took him away from raking leaves in his Boston home
Our Stickler’s Spotlight this week focuses on unarmed combat by the book (the DMG, that is) and by other means. For more discussion of grappling, pummeling and overbearing, here are some good Dragon articles to seek out: “How to Finish Fights Faster” by Roger E. Moore. Dragon #83, March 1984, p. 55 Roger E. Moore
The Robe of Useful Items is an original DMG magic item, sure to be familiar to old-school players, but one which provides ample opportunity for customization by the creative DM. We’d love to publish an article on any unique Robes which others have created.
Aside from the Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide (put down that Unearthed Arcana!), look for some of the following Dragon articles for interesting insights and alternate perspectives on the Magic User: “Everything You Never Knew About Spell Books” by Gary Gygax. Dragon #62, June 1982, p. 14. Introduces the concept of cantrips; discusses the
The Automaton comes from Dragon magazine #101. It’s one of my favorite monsters, just because of the limitless options for what it can be made of, and the great fun a magic user or cleric PC can have creating one of their own. FREQUENCY: Rare NO. APPEARING: 1-2 ARMOR CLASS: See below MOVE: 9″ HIT
In our main feature for show number 2, we talked about where to find the books and other resources for 1st edition. Of course, eBay and Craiglist were the first places we suggested, but there are plenty of resources for those of you who have lost some of the books of your youth. Troll and
The Deck of Many Things is a classic magic item from the first Dungeon Masters Guide which has found incarnations in many games since. You can roll for which card a PC draws, create your own with a deck of cards, or even buy a professionally printed one from Green Ronin: www.greenronin.com/store/product/grr3004.html Here’s someone who
The Creature Feature for show #1 comes from Dragon magazine #101, the Creeping Pit. FREQUENCY: Very rare NO. APPEARING: 1 ARMOR CLASS: Not applicable MOVE: 12″ HIT DICE: See below % IN LAIR: Nil TREASURE TYPE: See below NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 engulfment DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below SPECIAL ATTACKS: Engulfment, cast victims into Astral Plane SPECIAL
