First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – Intrepid Heroes

John Godek

I started playing D&D with the Basic Set in 1979, with Rob Helm (see below) as my very first DM! Early on I enjoyed various TTRPGs such as Gamma World, Traveller, GURPS, Champions, Car Wars, Star Frontiers, and more, but eventually had to stop as I joined the service. I was working odd hours and moving around a lot, making it hard to find a group as well as find time to play. Instead I turned to online games, beginning with Bioware’s Neverwinter Nights, then Diablo II, and finally Guild Wars, where I led the world’s largest guild, was admin for the main Guild Wars fan site, and helped run several international PvP tournaments. Eventually I decided to play games face-to-face again, connecting with Rob and Scott at Free RPG Day. From there we started playing Pathfinder and Starfinder and eventually recruited the rest of the crew. Now I am a 5 Nova Starfinder GM, freelance author, and podcaster on the Know Direction Network. When I am not busy with gaming related activities, I am a business professor in the Seattle area.

Rob Helm

I started RPGs with the Basic D&D box and have been hooked ever since. I’ve spent many years playing in (possibly mythical) sword-and-sandal realms, but I’m enjoying my journey through space opera with Starfinder. My day job involves navigating software licensing rules, so I haven’t the least temptation toward rules lawyering around the table.

Scott Keim

I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy books. Although I knew D&D existed as a teen, I didn’t start playing until much later, beginning with 3.5 and Pathfinder. My first convention experience was at MegaCon in Orlando in 2012 where I was introduced to Pathfinder Society. This led to me starting PFS at my local game store and attending as many local cons as I could, meeting lots of great people and earning my 3^rd GM star. Two years later I applied for and amazingly got a job at Paizo where I’m still working as a Financial Operations Specialist. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, leading to even more gaming friendships. Since discovering tabletop RPG’s I have also played many other types of cooperative board and computer games. I’m a crossword and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast, as well as an incorrigible punster!

Ron Lundeen

I’m Stephanie’s husband! We’ve been gaming together for a long time, and I’ve been lucky enough to turn a lot of our fun gaming into fun writing. My first freelance writing assignment was in 1993, but in this millennium most of my freelance writing has been for Paizo Inc. and Wizards of the Coast. I also run my own third-party press, Run Amok Games. Almost four years ago, I made the leap from corporate attorney to full-time Paizo employee and we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I’m now a development manager at Paizo, working with developers and freelancers to create fabulous worlds and monstrous threats so friends can have fun telling stories together. I have lots of advice about being a freelance game designer that I give out in my blog at www.runamokgames.com and on Twitter @RPGRonLundeen.

Stephanie Lundeen

I’ve known Ron Lundeen for over two-thirds of my life and have been playing RPG’s for about that long. Coincidence? Not in the least. But it was when he talked me into spending a New Year’s Eve gaming with a bunch of his buddies that I knew I was hooked—by both him and the game. In addition to participating in Intrepid Heroes, I have played a lot of Pathfinder, have run a couple adventure paths, and have even co-written two of them. In addition to gaming, I edit professionally, aspire to do more writing, and—together with Ron—parent our three high-spirited kids (check out the blog at ouramazingforeverfamily.com).

Mark Woolcott

I play Julakashti on Intrepid Heroes.  I have been playing pen and paper RPGs since the early 80’s, starting with D&D and then AD&D.  When my friends stopped playing, I thought that the fad had died out until I rediscovered it in 1990 and I have been going strong ever since.  I have played with good groups in bad systems and bad groups in good systems and one thing I have learned is that it’s the people and the story that we tell that make the game what it is.  I love stories.  Whether it’s books, movies/TV, video games, tabletop RPGs, it’s the stories that move me.

About Intrepid Heroes

Intrepid Heroes is an actual play podcast currently finishing up the Dawn of Flame Starfinder adventure path from Paizo. We began playing as a group four years ago, with Scott GMing the Starfinder Dead Suns adventure path. Upon completion of that, we decided to move onto Dawn of Flame, and just for fun try our hand at recording it as an actual play. While we are not professional voice actors or podcasters, we do have a love of the game and extensive knowledge of the rules and setting with very experienced players, GMs, freelance writers, and developers in our group. We are fortunate to have two of the books of the Dawn of Flame adventure path GM’d by their authors; book 4 by our very own Ron Lundeen, and book 6 by Starfinder Developer Jason Tondro. The goal of our actual play podcast is to show a group of friends playing the game, explaining rules, and showing examples of how things might work, so that others might learn and feel comfortable playing and GMing this and other adventures themselves. Intrepid Heroes is posted every other Friday on the Know Direction network.

Today’s Question

“It’s time to put pen to paper, or more likely, it’s time to press keys on the keyboard. Your boss gave you a deadline and its growing closer every day. Writer’s block be damned, you have to submit something. After a stressful day at work, you decide to kick back and relax with your favorite piece of media tonight so that you’ll be suitably ready to start getting this project off your plate first thing tomorrow. Fortunately, as the evening’s chosen entertainment unfolds, a spark of inspiration presents itself. These characters aren’t your favorites without good reason. You enjoy them because they were conceived by ideas that were good, and because they are well-written. You feel like you could use some of the concepts from this medium to help you begin your project tomorrow, and you think you have some ideas to help make your product unique enough as to not feel uninspired. After a nice evening and a nice sleep, you awake the next morning feeling ready to get started.”

Pick one of your favorite fictional characters or settings. What is it and why? If you had to write a new base class based on that character or setting, what kinds of things would that class do that is different than one of the other existing base classes?

John

I am an avid science fiction fan, hence my love for Starfinder. My favorite of the current crop of sci-fi shows is The Expanse. I really enjoy the hard science realism of the setting combined with the deep development of the main characters, all taking place in a complex political environment that causes all kinds of conflict both within the main group as well as between them and outside factions with various agendas. I have often thought of the characters and how I might stat them out for Starfinder. While there does seem to be a good class fit with some, for example Bobbie would be fairly straightforward as a powered armor soldier, the others are less clear. Holden seems has some envoy abilities, but does a lot of soldiering as well. Naomi is a great hacker and you could say she has a magic touch with technological systems, so technomancer would be where I would slot her. Alex flies … and well he is off the show now so probably just best to skip him. Amos … well Amos is my favorite of the bunch and the one I actually tried to make a Starfinder character of, with middling success. Amos Burton, also know as Timmy, has mechanical ability, martial fighting skills, weapons training, and is pretty good at intimidation.  In Starfinder terms, one could argue he is a mechanic with strong fighting skills, or a soldier with high intimidate and engineering skills. I think his recently disclosed backstory demonstrates that he is much more than either of these though, so I am suggesting a new class for him – the Troubleshooter.

My idea for the Troubleshooter is that while onboard a starship, the Troublshooter would have sufficient engineering ability to be effective at damage control during starship combat, but not be as good as a mechanic in other engineering related tasks. They can repair things but require explicit directions and instructions on how to make upgrades and improvements to systems. The Troubleshooter would be a full BAB class with CON as their key ability score. They would have Improved Unarmed Strike as a class feature in order to help clean up any trouble they and the crew might get into while the ship was in port, and Percussive Maintenance to assist with damage control while underway. Class abilities of the Troubleshooter would include Improved Improvised Weapon, allowing them to turn mundane items such as toothbrushes, teacups, can openers, and pencils into lethal weapons, Deadpan Taunt, which allows them to bully or demoralize enemies without otherwise negatively shifting their enemies attitude, and Enticing Revelry, which allows them to consume immense amounts of intoxicants without becoming impaired, while simultaneously making them much more effective in social situations.

While the Troubleshooter won’t be better than a soldier in a fight, or more knowledgeable than a mechanic, or as effective socially as an envoy, they will be able to perform fairly well in all three situations, and more importantly will make sure the ship and its crew are always taken looked after.

Rob

I love Charles Stross’s Laundry Files novels about Bob Howard, wizard, secret agent, and IT drudge. Bob spends his time in the field battling extradimensional horrors who often present themselves in the guise of allegedly mythical creatures, while battling software upgrades and suffocating bureaucracy back at the office. The novels beautifully mix science fiction (with shout-outs to computability theory), Cthuhlu mythos, fantasy, and workplace satire. They somehow make all that work every time.

If Bob has a class, it’s Laundry Operative. They are casters, v-e-r-y carefully exploiting hidden powers of the multiverse that will spin their brains into smoothies if they trip up. Their spells let them detect, fend off, and defeat those powers who sneak into our world through cracks in reality. Laundry Operatives also rely on specialized gear, often mundane-looking items powered by an extra-special someone from a nameless dimension.

Every Laundry Operative needs a day job, both for cover and to pad their meager civil service salaries. And class-specific abilities like Repel HR, Soft-Pedal Expense Report, and Distract Supervisor enable them to keep the office hierarchy at bay while they save the world.

Scott

One of the things I like most in my sci-fi and fantasy is exploration and discovery, whether it be new planets or ancient ruins. That is what I love about Jack McDevitt’s Academy and Benedict series of novels, which are set in our universe but contain alien artifacts to be recovered or studied, and mysteries to be solved (or perhaps left unsolved). A few alien cultures exist but they are a rarity and thus each is special no matter their level of development. The characters are simply human scientists, pilots, and others experiencing extraordinary circumstances. Without any superpowers they push themselves to the brink and beyond for the sake of knowledge, adventure, wonder, or the need to understand. They try to piece together the clues of several ancient monuments leading to more mysteries and an oncoming disaster they hope to prevent.

These characters collectively are explorers, archeologists, scientists, all working towards discovery of the new and rediscovery of the old. In Pathfinder they would be delving into ruins for the knowledge buried there. In Starfinder they would be seeking new planets, or look for clues about the Gap. They have more resolve than most and can use it in a wide variety of ways, such as enduring harsh weather or other conditions, stubbornly working on a mysterious artifact, attempting to decipher unknown writing, or continuing on when others give up and turn back. Adaptable and quick-thinking, they use their intellect, experience, and intuition to succeed, only resorting to force when necessary. As such, they have ways to actually defeat opponents using their mental skills rather than just impose penalties or bonuses to attacks.

Ron

I just binged the first season of Loki with my family. It was fine enough, I suppose; my family likes those Marvel television series better than I do. While I don’t think any particular character was compelling enough to build a whole class around, I find the concept of “time police” interesting, and I love the science-fiction trope of characters who can shift themselves and others through time. There was a lot of that in Loki, and they were my favorite parts. Let’s make a class out of that trope, and call it the Timeshifter.

Timeshifters come in two main varieties. First are those who can alter the flow of time for themselves. Maybe they alter the flow of time for everyone other than themselves, putting themselves “out of phase” or “out of time” that results in their being able to move super quickly relative to the rest of the world, but their powers are focused on themselves. Second are those who can alter the flow of time for one other person (or a small group of others), often to rewind a foe to a previous spot in time, freeze them in time in a way that seems like paralysis, or push them ahead to some future spot—maybe an inhospitable and distant one! The Timeshifter class should cater to both of these paths, allowing someone to focus on either the Egoshifter or Foeshifter paths, or to mix-and-match the powers from either to be a little more flexible but a little less focused. Higher-level abilities allow for bigger changes to the flow of time, naturally.

People who jump around through time are generally quick, so this is a Dexterity-focused class. They’re acrobatic and have quick reactions, and aren’t bogged down with armor or heavy weapons. They’re much better fighting with ranged weapons, their fists, or quick melee weapons that make darting attacks, and maybe get multiple attacks more quickly as they advance in the class. Their Reflex saving throw is their best save, and maybe their only good one. They compensate for a lack of armor with a sixth sense about when attacks will strike, allowing them to stutter slightly forward or backward in time to get a boost to their defenses. Many protagonists in time-altering stories are also super smart, able to see time’s intricate connections, so Intelligence also matters to Timeshifters, and maybe determines their time-stuttering defense ability.

There are fantasy tropes about chronomancers and horologists who cast spells, but the Timeshifter isn’t that kind of character. I don’t want to say the Timeshifter casts no spells, because most games already have some time-control spells in them—haste, slow, and time stop are pretty common examples—which the Timeshifter can pick up as abilities rather than as true spells. They’re just limited in how they can use them (on themselves if they’re Egoshifters and on enemies if they’re Foeshifters, of course).

To round out the class, let’s throw in some powers they can choose that affect only objects. These probably aren’t worth building into a whole third variety of Timeshifter (the Stuffshifter?), because who wants to explain that choice? “You control time! Do you control it for yourself or for other people?” “Actually, only for inanimate objects” (*sad trombone noise*) But there are still plenty of neat time-themed, object affecting powers the class should be able to do: corrode or dissolve items by rapidly aging them, or rewind an object’s memory or position (for example, to unlock a lock, unload a loaded gun, or follow the back-path of a murder weapon). These are investigative things, which keeps with the class’s Intelligence focus, so those seem like a nice fit and help fill in some levels without flashier choices.

I think that puts us on some pretty solid footing, and well into design of a whole new class. Who knows what the future will bring for the Timeshifter?

Stephanie

The character that has most recently grabbed my attention—and heart—is the Mandalorian, or rather Mandalorians, from the eponymous series. The badass fighting is always a pleasure, but I also love the way that the story of Mandalore is emerging in bits and pieces, along with the backstory of the title character. There was a genuine zing in meeting the other Mandalorians and finding out how the main character was actually a “zealot” whose personal code was not necessarily what he thought it was. And that final episode of season two? Okay, no spoilers.

For a Mandalorian base class, proficiency with a sweet suit of power armor is obviously the first requirement, and it needs to be an option right out of the gate, including the rocket pack. That could make a pretty substantially overpowered first-level character, so there would have to be some trade-offs, perhaps to hit points or basic stats. I like the idea that a Mandalorian wouldn’t have to be human, even if that’s breaking with canon. As opposed to the soldier or vanguard, though, the Mandalorian would also need a lot of skills for dealing with people. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate would all be quite necessary. As opposed to being a straight-up bounty hunter, the Mandalorian would also be characterized by either a personal code or an impossible dream. So the character would have an additional advancement track either for achieving that dream or for living by that personal code. Actions that betray the dream or the code would result in penalties or even irreparable damage to the armor. Successes could not only advance the story but also result in unexpected gains like a new weapon proficiency—or perhaps a couple ranks in Mysticism!

Mark

After my umpteenth viewing of The Princess Bride I have decided that Fezzik AKA The Giant would make a great class.  An obvious fighter type (unarmed), Fezzik actually spends most of his time influencing people, and while Intelligence may be his dump stat, his good natured Charisma is second only to his massive Strength.

The Giant starts off being able to use his Strength bonus on intimidate checks as a class ability without the need for buying a feat, and will be able to deliver a debuff to opponents with his Rhyming Taunt.  As he starts to level up, his superior endurance will come into play as his Endless Climb ability allows him to ignore exhaustion when exerting himself over long periods, even while encumbered.  He will be able to extract information from an unwilling character/NPC with Jog His Memory, but if he exceeds the DC by 10 or more, the informant will be rendered unconscious for 1D6 hours.

By the mid-levels, The Giant will gain bonuses when he is in melee with multiple opponents as he gets the Fighting Gangs for Local Charities ability.  He will acquire some modest healing ability with Nurse Your Inebriated Friend Back to Health.  Finally, I have Come For Your Souls! will give him the ability to incite terror and cause up to 60 foes to run away in fear.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – The Loaded Dice Rollers Cast of Season 2

We are friends and award-winning actors, sound designers, and editors. We love Pathfinder so we produce a well edited version of our real-play game for viewers. Basically we took our homebrewed game nights to a whole new level! @loadeddicerollers

GM Macleods – Executive Producer

Currently, GM is an Executive Producer of Microsoft’s “Brand Studios” a half-hour News style show and is completing his first two animated pilots. Additional television experience includes a four-year Executive Producer deal with ITV Studios where he developed and produced a multitude of scripted and reality shows for WE, ABC, FOX, Food Network, Travel, Discovery ID, TLC, MTV, GSN, and A&E to name a few. GM’s Company, has produced “Crowded House,” a series on HGTV, Game Show Flashback for GSN, Eureka Springs for TRU TV, and 11 seasons of a travelogue series for AXS Network. Producing nearly 300 episodes in total. GM is an Executive Producer on the Billy Bob Thornton feature film “SMELL OF SUCCESS” and the Hillary Duff, Winona Ryder, Chevy Chase, and Jon Cryer movie “STAY COOL.”

Brett aka Buzz aka Rules God

My passion for the TTRPGs goes way back to the original days of AD&D playing after school with my brothers and next door neighbor. Boy, do I miss those days of having no responsibility and roleplaying 3-4 days a week. Perhaps when I’m rich enough to retire one day, that will become a reality again! My involvement with GM MacLeods & Loaded Dice Rollers Seasons 1-3 has been a blast. I’ve had the luxury of assisting the GM by playing multiple NPCs throughout the seasons. In addition, I have fun acting as the rules referee aka “Rules God”.

Brooke Eyler

Heya! I’m Brooke, and I’ve been playing TTRPGs for around 5 years now. D&D 5e was my introduction to these incredible worlds, and I’ve been hooked on creating epic stories ever since! When I’m not in session, I dabble in cosplay, act, dance, and try to keep myself educated and informed.

Deanna Bakker

I was recently introduced to role play gaming, and fell in love immediately. I’m a lifelong actress with an emphasis on improv and trained in dialects which comes in extremely handy!

Allyson Severyn (@allyseveryn)

I’ve spent many years as a professional musical theatre actress in the LA area. Most recently I was a part of the cast of Frozen: Live at the Hyperion at the Disneyland Resort, but I have also performed in many other spaces across LA and even into Utah!

I was introduced to tabletop RPG’s just a few years ago but absolutely fell in love with it. While I am a newer player, I enjoy and embrace the challenge of creating great characters and diving into stories. I’ve often found myself leaning towards magic wielding characters, but have also played around with a few characters who are more skilled with a blade and bow.

If I’m not playing tabletops RPG’s, or other games, I can often be found watching good TV shows and movies. Can you tell I love a good story? Or, I’m often out taking walks and hikes to spend some time in nature.

Today’s Question

“Trouble stirs in the land. Far to the west, two rival kingdoms, The Orclands and the Deathmarshes, are considering an alliance against your homeland. Fortunately, you’re known as somewhat of a local hero for your previous exploits, and your queen has thusly summoned you. When you arrive at the castle, you’re quickly ushered into a large meeting room with a long wooden table. At its head, Queen Sivrunn sits flanked by a score of diplomats and military commanders. You’re asked to have a seat and join the conversation about the actions the country should take. It is decided that a rider should be sent to Elmdale, a potential ally, to request their support.  Because Elmdale is very near to the Deathmarshes and enemy spies are likely everywhere, the rider will travel alone to attract less attention. Both the danger and the importance of this mission cannot be understated. For this reason, you will be the rider. Queen Sivrunn has ordered the court wizards and royal huntsmen to work together in order to secure for you whichever mount you see fit for the journey. Name a beast, and it shall be broken and trained as your loyal mount without fail.”

Pick one of your characters to serve as the rider. Who is it; describe your character. When given the opportunity to pick any monster or beast, and it will serve as a loyal mount, what do you pick and why? Lastly, give your mount a name.

GM MacLeods

GM Macleods’ NPC, the rat “Noyman” who rides a stallion between the ears on top of the head and is often heard yelling, “Elmdale!” His mount, “Honrus,” used to be a rat but was turned many years ago by a hag who polymorphed him. Queen Sivrunn had them as pets many years back, but since the castle mage cast a spell on the rats so they could speak, things have become very complicated and the Mage quit so the Queen is flat out of luck. She is happy to see.

Brett aka Buzz aka Rules God

I picture my character being an old powerful wizard with common sense. Resembling Gandalf the Grey in appearance. I would name him Felmore the Wise. And he would only be visiting the castle if he knew he would somehow benefit from the situation or if he owed the Queen a favor. And if I were ordered by the Queen to serve a dangerous & important quest to seek help from a nearby town of Elmdale, I would kindly tell her “Your majesty, I have a better idea. Rather than risk my life traveling through the dangerous terrain, how about I cast this prepared spell of mine called Sending to the leader of Elmdale. Elmdale will get the message in seconds, and it will save you and the militia valuable time.” But if the Queen persists I go in person, I would tell her fine. “I will teleport to the town and be back in a jiffy”. And if the Queen is determined I travel on foot with a loyal beast of my choosing, I would become extremely irritated and would request a Giant Snail who is slow as molasses just to irritate her for being so foolish.

Brooke Eyler

Lady Adrienne is of small stature, built willowy with a bird-cage chest and wide, colorless eyes. A wild mane of coiled, ivory hair puffs from her scalp, doing little to conceal the ram-like horns sprouting from her forehead. She looks frail, dainty, and most importantly, she looks the caricature of a damsel in distress. There is, however, an undeniable sharpness to the quirk of her lips, something unsettling in the way shadows curl toward her as if to caress. They tend to underestimate the power of a Sorceress. She calls upon a large hound, attuned with the shadows as she is. The creature, a mastiff with rows upon rows of blackened teeth that stretch its jowls grotesquely, may meld into the shadows with her. The blood that sings in her veins croons a symphony of darkness with the creature, allowing them to become incorporeal in the darkness of night. You cannot hit a target that is unseen, and you may not attack your own shadow. They appear weak, though any who attack them as they are visible in the light of day will be sorely mistaken. The goodest of boys, Chompy, will be sure of that.

Deanna Bakker

I am flattered by the request of my queen. However she knows I need no steed as I quickly stealth in the shadows hopping from one to the next as I travel at night. But also I know a mage who can teleport me to where I need to be and back. Again I am the most resourceful in all the lands and my queen has chosen correctly again.

Allyson Severyn (@allyseveryn)

The Queen knows me best as I lead the Griffin Rider Knights of the Queendome.  My Griffin, Taco, has bonded with me many years ago, but I can request magical armor upgrades and a spa day for Taco to bathe the feathers, sharpen the claws and beak. Making this journey is routine for the Griffin Rider Knights so the path is well known to me. I will hitch the flags and fly them high as I make this diplomatic journey with Taco!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – MNmaxed

MNmaxed is an Actual Play podcast focusing on Pathfinder 2nd Edition. We’re a group of longtime friends and fellow adventurers who first had the idea to make an actual play podcast of our shenanigans way back in 2013. At the time we had no good way to record things so it got put on the back burner.

Fast-forward to August of 2019 and the release of Pathfinder 2e. We decided that we wanted to launch this podcast thing in earnest and to coincide it with the launch of this new system which we were all excited to play. We got our Core rulebooks on a Friday, had our session 0 and character creation episode up on Saturday, and our first episode of Fall of Plaguestone (Paizo’s short introductory adventure for PF2e) on Sunday. 

It’s been a whirlwind since then and all of us are astonished at and so grateful for the success we’ve found. The show is reasonably popular as far as actual play podcasts go, we have an amazing community of people in our listeners and Discord, and more support through Patreon than we ever thought we would.

MNmaxed aims to be a place where people can come not only for fun and entertaining adventures, but also to learn how to play this great system from Paizo. We strive to be as rules accurate as possible and take a bit of time to talk about game mechanics as we go without interrupting the narrative flow. We strive to be TTRPG ambassadors and we believe these games are for everyone. You can find out more about us at mnmaxed.com

Swany: The Ruleslawyer

Hello I’m Swany. I am the rules lawyer for MNmaxed. I make sure we stay as rules legit as possible while we play Pathfinder 2e and Starfinder. IRL I am a CPA for a small accounting firm in Southern Minnesota where I am part owner. Contrary to many of my D&D friends, I enjoy watching sports, mainly football and baseball. I have a couple tattoos and am looking to get more. 

I have been playing TTRPGs for about 18 years. While I have mainly played Paizo products in the last decade, I started with D&D right around the 3-3.5 transition. Like many, the switch to 4e pushed me towards Pathfinder 1e and have been playing ever since. I love the character options of Pathfinder. I enjoy making characters that I will likely never play as there just isn’t enough time to play that many campaigns and I love my characters too much to let them die. When I am not working on the podcast I am spending time with my wife and two kids, playing softball or playing video games.

David: The Talent

Hey there! I’m David, the Talent of MNmaxed. I do all the editing and production for our podcast which I thoroughly enjoy. I’m an audio nerd and I love this stuff.

I started playing TTRPGs with 3rd edition when I was 14, more than two decades ago. My friend wanted to run an epic level campaign which was a great introduction on how not to play D&D. I rolled d20s for my abilities and added my attack modifier to damage. Some might argue I haven’t gotten much better at the rules in these subsequent 20 years.

I’ve been doing music since I was 3 years old and it’s my biggest passion. I sometimes write music for the show and have played in bands for longer than I’ve played TTRPGs. I also do some voice acting, primarily audiobooks. I have a normal dumb job too but it’s boring and nobody cares.

I’m the only member of MNmaxed who doesn’t live in MN. I’m a traitor and escaped down to Florida because if I had to spend one more winter in the frozen north I think what little sanity I have left would’ve been wrenched from me for good. Also this way I get to celebrate the Buccs winning the Superbowl because Kurgess knows the Vikings won’t manage it in my lifetime.

Outspoken anti-racist, anti-fascist, LGBTQ+ advocate.

Ted: The “New Guy”

Hi my name is Ted. I started TTRPGs about 6 years ago playing Pathfinder 1st edition with this same group of guys. Since then I have played a little bit of Starfinder and now primarily just play Pathfinder 2nd edition. I got into the TTRPG scene a bit later than most as I was in my mid 20s and honestly it wasn’t something I ever expected to get into. I had worked with Tyler, David, and Spencer but only really knew Tyler who was on the same team as I at our workplace. One day Tyler convinced me to sit in on a Pathfinder 1e session because he thought it was something that might interest me. After about an hour of spectating his group which consisted of the current core MNmaxed team I was already trying to figure out how to build (and to be honest totally break) my first character. Since then I have been playing with these same people every week.  

After 6 years of playing Pathfinder I have never completed a full length adventure path from start to finish. Our podcast’s playthrough of Extinction Curse should be my first adventure path completion unless we somehow TPK…

Tyler: The Game Master

Tyler here! I’m the Game Master for the Pathfinder Second Edition shows in the MNmaxed Podcast. I started my dive into the world of table top RPGs as a pre-teen, cramped around a small kitchen table with my best friends. Wow, did we struggle to get the rules right. With hardly any understanding of the system, let alone how to make a character properly, we were describing our characters to each other in vivid detail. Rolling dice against the monster stat blocks. Celebrating natural 20s; lamenting natural 1s. I knew I was hooked, and that was just day one.

I could go on about how every summer for the rest of my time at home was spent playing and thinking about Dungeons & Dragons. Instead, I’m going to speak briefly about one of my favorite things about the hobby: The Table.

The Table is an engine. As a construct, The Table facilitates a space for interpersonal relationships, community building, and most importantly; provides a vehicle for empathy. The opportunity to try and put yourself into someone else’s shoes. If The Table is open and welcoming, it can really allow players to see situations from a different perspective. Working together with their fellow players to overcome challenges as a team.

As much as I love playing around our “Table”, I have a real passion for bringing new people into the game. Inviting them to leave the real world at the door and go on an adventure. Watching a new player light up when they hit that moment that hooks them brings me so much joy.

For the shows, instead of a seat at my Table, I offer you a view into mine. The MNmaxed podcast is how my friends and I play the game. Do we focus on the rules? Yes, The Table loves that. Do we focus on the story? Of course, we’re taking characters we’ve put time into conceiving through these adventures. But both of those elements take a back seat to what truly got us all into this hobby in the first place. Having a good time with your friends.

Spencer: Wildcard

Hey Spencer here, little about my tabletop history i’ve been playing for over 15 years, 8 of which have been with the same group of guys (MnMaxed). Started playing with DnD 3.5 which I always loved for the amount of content available to build some truly crazy builds, which is what led me to play Pathfinder when it came out and never looked back at DnD. The majority of all the characters I build are hybrid classes druid,magus,warpriest etc. I’m not the best “roleplayer” but I do have a knack for making some really good builds and loving rolling dice. Most of the characters I have built come from the same family of dwarves called the Hicberns, who all run a syrup farm. It sounds silly because that’s all it is. I was definitely hesitant about moving to Pathfinder 2e mainly because I was worried it would take the same approach as Starfinder, which I could never get invested in, but after starting the podcast with 2e I have absolutely loved it.

Today’s Question

It’s time to start a new campaign with fresh level 1 characters. Everyone already has all of these really cool ideas for their next character. You *would’ve* had a really great idea too, but all of the classes you like have already been taken or are off the table for some other reason. This time, you have little to no choice; you’re going to have to play your least favorite class AND you’re going to have to do a bang up job with it since everyone else already has such great character concepts they’re going to play.

What is your least favorite class to play and why? How would you build a really cool and interesting character using that class so that you could actually enjoy playing it?

Swany 

This is likely a strange answer but here it goes. I have trouble picking a least favorite class. I can find something I like in any of them. But if i had to pick one it would be the Paladin. Not because I have anything against the features but because how most people I’ve played with play them as Lawful Stupid. You know the trope, send paladin away so they don’t see you doing anything questionable. When they return and the guy is dead everyone shrugs and the Paladin is ok with it. This feeling of being trapped into playing a certain way is what makes me dislike the Paladin more than the rest. 

To play the Paladin I would have to fight the urges to play them too Good. I don’t think they have to be a saint to be a Paladin. Just generally be a good person and follow your God’s tenets. I would build a backstory to explain how and why I became a Paladin and why I picked a certain deity. Having a fleshed out backstory with motivations always makes me enjoy a character more. Those motivations would then help me decide how I would react to certain situations instead of falling back on the Lawful Stupid stereotype. A lot of my enjoyment in playing a character is how I perceive them and do they actually come across to the party as such. I also enjoy taking random stats and seeing how I can make them into an interesting character. So playing a class I don’t like doesn’t really bother me.

David

You ever take one of those tests where it tells you what D&D class and ancestry you are? I mean, if you’re reading this there’s literally a 0% chance you haven’t, don’t lie you liar. You clicked on it, you dealt with the ads and the shoddy scrolling, you answered the questions, then you pretended the answer was actually what you wanted JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.

So I always take those and deliberately answer in a way to NOT get what I know my IRL class is. I know I’m a bard. Hanging out with friends who play TTRPGs there will inevitably be a time(s) when everyone starts figuring out what everyone’s IRL class is and I am literally the easiest one, everyone knows I’m a bard. And I hate bards. 

TTRPGs are where I go for escapism. If I wanted to be a creative artistic type who is totally useless I can just look in the mirror.

From a mechanical standpoint I always felt bards were the weakest class in 3.0, 3.5, and Pathfinder 1e. I think that disposition has just stuck with me and has compounded upon my dislike for playing myself in a TTRPG. Consequently I haven’t even read the bard entry in the Pathfinder 2e Core and I produce a popular Pathfinder 2e podcast and the system has been out for going on 2 years.

HOWEVER! I did play a bard once. I cast boring buff spells and I showed up to every session with my mandolin and sang narration for what my character was doing because, go all in. The main thing is I will always enjoy getting together with my friends and playing TTRPGs. It’s pretty much my whole social life these days and I love it.

Ted

I don’t really have a least favorite class because if I ever find myself getting bored with a character I just look at multiclassing them. I feel like if you ever find yourself disliking what you are playing you just need to change what they do. That could be adding a spell casting aspect or finding a way to expand on the things you do like about your character. Pathfinder 2e is a perfect system to be able to make your character into anything you want it to be.

Tyler 

Least favorite is tough. Of course part of me wants to say I’d love to play any class. Then I started thinking about the classes I have gotten to play, and I have fond memories of characters using all of the core classes. 

Except Barbarian.

Big dumb brute gets angry and smashes things is a character troupe that doesn’t appeal to me as a player. Don’t get me wrong, I get why people love it. That’s just not my jam.

So let’s make it work. Lightening theory crafting time. I want a character who isn’t dumping intelligence for the sake of the flavor of big dumb barbarian. Rage will be a meaningful and impactful choice for this character. He’s smart, he doesn’t want to Rage, as violence shouldn’t be the answer. Sometimes though, sometimes it is the answer. A decision that hurts this character. 

This is ringing a lot of bells for me. So to save time, let’s pick a character in fiction that fits. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde meets our criteria pretty nicely. 

Now we’re in it. Human Barbarian with the alchemist dedication at second level. How can we show the bestial transformation to Mr. Hyde? Well, fitting to our fictional character base would be the Bestial Mutagen from the PF2 Core Rulebook. Claws? Check. Fangs? Check. Draw the mutagen, gulp it down, and realize in horror that you’ve done it again (ie Rage) . We’re using an entire round for setup though. If we’re lucky the GM might allow that to go off prior to combat, but that won’t always be a guarantee. And we’ll only get a limited number of mutagens per day, so hand to hand combat goes out the window as soon as you’re out.

Okay, I can accept the one round setup. It’s filled with flavor, and if you’ve listened to our Starfinder game at all… I am more than willing to be sub-optimal for flavor. 

So let’s find some other way to get our claws and fangs, to allow flexibility in our alchemy choices during daily preparation. Lucky me! The bear animal instinct gives both claws and fangs! Perfect, now we can drink any alchemical item we can create. This gives us a ton more utility, for both us and the party. Perfect!

We know we’ll be getting a lot of the raw power for this build from Barbarian Class Feats, but we also need to sprinkle in those alchemist feats too. So we’ll likely switch back and forth between the two when we get to pick them up every other level. That handles our combat prowess as well as utility through alchemical items. 

Last thing will be to find a way to express our character’s scholarly pursuits. Well, since we need at least an Intelligence of 14 for that alchemist dedication. We’re not completely starved for skills. There’s also the option to go with a background that leans into this. Scholar (Occultism) comes to mind. Train in as many knowledge skills as we dare without neglecting the physical skills like Athletics. 

With all those skills, now we get access to some fun skill feats that show off our superior intellect. Feats like Eye For Numbers, Glean Contents, Schooled in Secrets, Multilingual. There are so many to choose from. I would lean into whatever fits best into his experience up til that point in the adventure, or lean into an aspect I’m having fun role playing.

Here we are, at the end of talking about how I’d make my least favorite class fun, and now I want to play this character! Curses!

Spencer

On the question of least favorite class I have never liked paladin/champion mainly because of the lawful guideline and being religious. One of our campaigns we rolled to see what class and race we would play and I ended up getting stuck with the champion. It was also the first character I played in 2e, so not knowing much of the new edition i had a hard time making the character something I enjoyed playing. I think if I were to play one again I would definitely multiclass into a caster class and try not to think about the lawful stuff as much.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – Rane Zero & DaftProdigy of To Have And To Roll

We met through podcasting about 10 years ago and got into tabletop roleplaying games about 4 years ago. Daft was originally interested in Critical Role and Rane joined in because it was a great way to spend 4 hours with Daft. We have been married for two and a half years, and we are currently living together in Connecticut, where Rane works in the solar industry and Daft teaches at Yale.

After working in a lot of large-format podcasts and big-table games, we both had a desire to try something a little more intimate (insert eyebrow waggling here). Streaming the Pathfinder: Kingmaker CRPG had been a great bonding experience for us, so we each picked a couple adventure paths to look at to see if we could work backwards and translate that experience to the tabletop game. Ultimately, Curse of the Crimson Throne had the most personal resonance for us. So, we set about the task of building an actual play where one player (Daft) controls an entire 4 person adventuring party, thus giving us the intimacy of a one-on-one game without all that pesky having-to-rebalance-every-encounter-so-everyone-doesn’t die work. This concept then solidified into To Have And To Roll, our main point of connection with the actual play community!

Today’s Question

“King Rivervain has died. The Rivervain lands weren’t particularly large or noteworthy, but it did have a medium-sized castle, and its people were happy and well-fed. But now, it’s your turn. As the only child of King Rivervain, it falls on you to continue to lead these lands further into prosperity. Unfortunately, Ipenstar, a larger and more aggressive kingdom, has heard the news of your father’s death and intends to forcibly claim the Rivervain lands as their own. Your advisors, wizards, and clerics have opened up the coffers and prepared a number of resources for you to use in the defense of the kingdom however you see fit. You can spend these resources on anything you’d like. Fortifications, training soldiers, hiring specialist mercenaries, capturing magical beasts to use at war, etc… But, Ipenstar will spend exactly twice the resources you spend on a tradition fantasy army. It’ll be composed of foot soldiers, spearmen, and archers, supported by knights on horseback. Behind their lines will be catapults designed to bring down your walls. Your diviners and spies both determine via their own methods that the Ipenstar battle strategy will be to directly siege your castle and engage your army in the open field. And now, your council looks to you to direct the Rivervain war effort. How will you spend your resources? What tactics will you employ to beat an army that outnumbers you two to one?“

You’ve been given a castle and X resources to build a fantasy army. There’s another army coming to take your lands but they had twice the resources you did and spent it all on a traditional army. They’ll also be using a very straightforward strategy. How do you plan to defend your people?

Rane

I love a good old fashioned math problem. And luckily this scenario leaves us with a rather simple formula; we have X resources at our disposal, and we must defeat an army with 2X resources. The kicker here is that the enemy army will be spending this on a “traditional army” and we have access to the unlimited power of the cosmos. Or at least…  what would be available to a “medium sized castle”. Lucky for us, I’m coming at this as a Pathfinder GM. So all we need to do is find magical items or creatures of value X that cannot possibly be defeated by a number of hired soldiers whose combined pay equals 2X. So let’s turn to my favorite system and define some variables to see if we can find a solution.

Our kingdom is listed as having a “medium sized castle”. Which to me says we should be looking at settlement rules. We could go into kingdom building, but… we would be here for a while.

A medium-sized settlement that could contain a castle in Pathfinder would be a Large Town. This also gives us two important stats: base value and purchase limit. Base value determines what items will be available in town. If the item is equal to or less than the base value, we have a 75% chance of finding it in town. The purchase limit is how much a shop in our town can spend on a given item.

Your average large town has a base value of 2000 and a purchase limit of 10000. So the most money we can spend on any given item is 10000 gold. So how powerful of a magical beast can you “buy” with 10000 gold?

Great question, me! If we look at the treasure per encounter, 10000 gold is equivalent to the reward for a CR 14 encounter on the slow track, a CR 12 encounter on medium track, or a CR 10 encounter on the fast track. So what creature between CR 10 and 14 could we “buy” that cannot possibly be hit by a group of rank-and-file soldiers or knights?

I could do the math, find a creature whose AC exceeds their to-hit bonus, and hope they don’t crit. Alternatively, I could find a creature that just can’t be hurt by mundane weapons. In this case, the Banshee. Banshees are incorporeal, meaning they can’t be hit by the nonmagical weapons that a standard knight or foot soldier is carrying. A given banshee can wail once per minute, forcing all creatures within 40 feet to make a DC 23 fortitude save or take 140 points of damage. A few may make their saves… but we can do this all night, and they only have to fail once.

10000 gold can also buy you an army of 500 fighters. So if we buy 1 banshee, the enemy will be attacking with 1000 soldiers. Assuming those soldiers are indeed rank and file, we can probably maximize our death toll by targeting full clusters of soldiers. Conservatively speaking, this comes out to 150 deaths per minute per banshee, giving our 1000 soldiers a projected lifespan of 6.66 minutes from when the screaming starts to when the last man dies. We will also be attacking at night, so that their poor human eyes won’t even know what hit them.

As the sun rises, dozens of unmanned catapults protrude from a sea of corpses. We curl up on the throne with a wand of silence we picked up earlier, deafened to the cries of our dying enemies and screaming banshees as they flee into the woods or burn in the sunlight. Our kingdom is saved in one night of terror. Then we use any remaining funds to hire adventures to kill X number of banshees.

Daft

Now that Rane has done an awesome job making a practical and effective plan, let’s do something completely different.

From the setup, it sounds like our holdings are mostly fields. This suggests we don’t have much by way of natural choke points to funnel a large army into a kill zone. But would a traditional army be prepared for a choke point that exists only within their own minds? Would they be prepared for a foe so devious, so difficult to kill, and so annoyingly persistent that they would have no choice but to acquiesce to its demands?

I present to you the imp and its power of suggestion.

The imp, a weak devil from the Pathfinder bestiary, is ridiculously cost-effective. It flies, it stings, it has damage resistance, it has fast healing, it can become invisible…and most importantly, it can cast Suggestion once a day.

We also need a few other things: a set of signposts, a well-demarcated road, a few hirelings, a couple of spell scrolls, and two booths.

Our border is patrolled by groups of flying, invisible imps. Upon seeing the enemy, they converge for the singular purpose of stealthily compelling its army, by casting Suggestion on its leaders and artillerists, to go to a choke point that doesn’t exist…yet.

Their Suggestion? “You have to pay at the toll booth before entering the kingdom.” Surely it’s only polite to make sure that the kingdom you’re invading can maintain its infrastructure! And luckily for the officers, there are some conveniently-placed signposts pointing them to the toll road.

The rest of the army (save a few intrepid mutineers who can be picked off by rank-and-file soldiers of our own) should follow their leaders where they’re compelled–a change in course should hardly be worth questioning. Or at least they should follow the catapults, begging their artillerists to please come back, we need you to break the castle walls.

And so the army is led to a fenced road leading into the kingdom, with a toll booth and a line of hirelings with nerves of steel being paid to take their sweet time getting through.

(In my mind, the hirelings in line and the toll booth operator are all played by Bugs Bunny.)

Suggestion lasts for hours. The army could wait here for quite a while, being completely lulled into the particular daze that comes from standing in line. And for anyone who’d managed to succeed on their Will saves the whole time…well, it’d just be awkward to leave now, wouldn’t it?

Eventually, the soldiers begin filing in: Pay the toll, pass through the toll booth. Make a Will save to realize you’re now walking through a small illusion of an open field. Get sneak-attack-killed by a couple of hidden rogues in an area of Silence on the other side of the booth.

And then the imps start stinging people at the back of the line.

In the combined chaos of the people at the front slowly realizing no one is coming out the other side of the booth but still being compelled to go through themselves, and the people at the back struggling to hurt a swarm of flying enemies with Fast Healing 2, DR 5/good or silver, and immunity to fire, we set up our second booth. This one is for hiring people into OUR army, funded by the money given at the toll booth by the now-dead frontliners.

I’m sure we can pay the remaining mercenaries better than whatever they’re getting to stand in a line full of imps.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – The Danger Club Podcast

The Danger Club Podcast is the show that takes Pathfinder and drives it like we stole it. We don’t play one single Adventure Path, instead we play loads of short adventures chosen by our listeners and tie them together into one big campaign. Take a bunch of British actors, put them in a studio in an old Georgian mansion, add in music and SFX, and then start throwing dice, that’s the Danger Club. It’s the show that feels like your home game, amped up to 11. Sure, it’s a story about saving the world, but it’s also about starting a riot in a post office, going undercover in a cult and kidnapping a familiar because it was creepy towards the Alchemist’s mum.

Scott is a cabaret host, James is an historian, Colin is musician, Ross does ALL the voices, Drum is the Santa your mother warned you about and Dan is just trying to hold it all together. Add in a bunch of guests from TV and Comedy and you have a show that is full of energy and packed with complex characters, high drama, and plenty of laughs.

After converting to Pathfinder 2^nd Edition on day one of the game’s release the DCP is now one of the longest running continuous PF2 podcasts in the world, bringing an hour of adventure every Monday. Our playthrough of The Slithering is just getting underway so it’s a perfect time to jump on. You can join the Club wherever you get podcasts or at https://www.dangerclubpodcast.com/ You can also join us for our weekly livestream Dangerous Wednesdays where we talk about RPGs, give GM advice, review games, and talk to guests from the RPG industry. DW airs every Wednesday at 7pm UK/2pm EST/11am PST on https://www.twitch.tv/dangerclubpodcast

Dan Thompson aka The Dangeon Master

Hi, I’m Dan and I’m the host and GM for The Danger Club Podcast. I have been playing RPGs since I was 10 years old, back in the AD&D days. I’ve played everything from Vampire to Warhammer over the decades but settled on Pathfinder a few years ago after falling in love with the world of Golarion, I love the Lost Omens setting and there is no limit to the amount of time I can spend reading Pathfinder lore so that we can mess with it on the show. These days I run the Danger Club Podcast as well as appearing on the other shows on our network. I also run as much Starfinder as I can find time for among everything else!

Outside of gaming I can usually be found working as a presenter or watching far too much Formula One.

Scott Wilson-Besgrove, aka Wolfgang Hemingway

I have played ttrpgs for close to a decade now, having started the Danger Club Podcast in the past couple of those, also guesting on Power Word Roll and Sabotage the DM.

In my other life, as a cabaret host and immersive actor, I also used to be a tree surgeon.

Today’s Question

“Just the other day, while checking your mail, you found a small advertisement for a new pet shop near where the mall used to be. ‘Lucky Friends Little Shoppe’ and there’s a coupon for ‘One Free New Friend.’ You arrive about an hour after the store opens. Gerbils, rabbits, fish, and shelter-cats greet you as you walk in the door. The adorable faces of the would-be pets is a stark contrast to the visage of the woman behind the counter. ‘Welcome, welcome to me shop! Please have a look around an’ let me know if you’ll be needin’ any help! The name’s Geerda.’ You say thanks and that you will. ‘Would ya’ like to see my more exotic friends in the back?’ She takes you into a back room that’s pitch black. With a flip of a light switch, she brings the lights on—the black-lights. All manner of wild and fantastic beasts glow in fluorescent colors. ‘Do any of these strike yer fancy? Yer coupin is good on these too, but I’ll be politely asking that ya be getting your feed and bedding from me.”

Geerda’s backroom contains all animals and magical beasts from any published tabletop roleplaying game. Which one do you pick as your new pet and why? Most importantly, what do you name it?

Answers

Dan

Ok, hear me out. Monkey Swarm. Not a single monkey, a monkey swarm. There are lots of people who might think this is a poor choice and that I should have chosen something like a dragon or a teleporting dog. Those people are wrong. Let me explain.

1. It counts as one creature but it’s actually hundreds of the little psychopaths. Enjoy your coupon Geerda, I just bagged a bargain.
2. A monkey swarm will bear me no loyalty. People who demand love from their pets are cowards. The monkeys are the perfect manifestation of the chaos of modern life and through battling them in order to accomplish basic tasks I will grow stronger.
3. Strategic classical warfare applications. How many monkeys are there in a swarm? 300. The same as the number of Spartans that held the pass of Thermopylae against and army of 300,000 Persians. Think you’re invading Greece on my watch? How about you get through my monkeys first! Before you ask, no I didn’t watch the end of that movie, I was too busy making tiny red cloaks and pants for my monkey Spartans.
4. Naming possibilities. All of the monkeys will be named Kevin. No Kevin 1, Kevin 2, Kevin 3 or anything like that, they are simians, not numbers dammit! They will all be called Kevin and when I address them along the lines of “Kevin, bring me that bagel” it will be up to them to work out which specific Kevin I am talking to. Upon deciding which of them is to bring the bagel they will then refuse to do so (see point 2). Once this is established, I will take the swarm of Kevins to Starbucks and order a latte under that name. When the barista calls out the order, 300 monkeys (plus any human Kevins in the vicinity) will descend on the counter and attempt to claim their prize. There is not tangible benefit to me from this, I just really want to see it.
5. Literary aptitude. It is a known fact that if you put an infinite number of monkeys in a room with an infinite number of typewriters, eventually they will produce the complete works of Shakespeare. 300 of them should at least be able to churn out a passable Transformers script.
6. Political goals. 300 seats is more than enough to take control of the US House of Representatives, allowing me to have monkey swarms legally declared better than dragons and force CBS to bring back the 90s detective series Due South. All that’s required is to run 300 successful congressional election campaigns where the candidate is a screaming capuchin who throws their own poo. Challenge accepted.
7. Has Sir David Attenborough ever made a documentary about griffons or a blink dogs? No. But he’s made blooming loads of them about monkeys. Having a monkey swarm at my side drastically increases my chances of meeting Attenborough, upon which we will invariably bond over our shared opinion that griffons are rubbish.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. If you have any questions, please address them to Kevin.

Scott

Geerda speaks but I barely listen. All around me are things with maws, paws and claws, some pulsing with sentience and others pulsing with the fluorescent lights that have just been switched on. Standing there under the Stunned condition I gawp at the black light reveal and revel in the majesty of the magical mammals massed before me.

There is one.

One that is sleek. One that is small. One that may well have a higher Int score than I. One that could be a beacon of eccentricity in a roiling sea of mundanity.

I kneel. Partly because it is currently on the ground and partly because I simply cannot be one hundred percent sure that this creature isn’t royal in some way shape or form. And WHAT form. Fur, cut from cloud. Feathers, plucked from Elysium. Eyes, amethyst stones that speak to my heart and betray my thoughts and feelings before they have even registered in my own cerebellum.

There is a prook, and with that one curious sound I am smitten in a way that low words over the darkest red wine by candlelight in regal halls could never get me. And I KNOW this little fella is a Malbec kinda guy.

Shakily handing over my coupon like a man encountering his first Illithid, I open the luxurious looking box (complete with its own hanging sage and paw-besmirched salt circle).

Glittering purple eyes challenge me as the first steps are taken out. An indignant mow is given as the thing steps back in again, despite my crooned assurance that outside the box is, in fact, better than inside the box. This action repeats itself one more time, and the ritual is complete.

The tressym takes steps outside, regally flicks its wings back across its furry body, and, with one more indigo-indignant look at me, flips onto its back and promptly starts licking its own bum.

“Yes.” I say. “I will take this one.”

“Ah!” Geerda beams. “You’ve taken a liking to that one eh? They say he’s looking for a familiar. Raspurrtin, his name is.”

“Yes…” I mutter, watching the winged feline roll around on its back in a desperate attempt to capture its tail, perhaps in an archetypal dance meant to punish traitorous gunmen from a long-forgotten age.

“…of course he is.”

And I begin to look forward to the next one hundred years.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – The Dimension Door Podcast

The Dimension Door Podcast

The Dimension Door Podcast is a bi-weekly Pathfinder 1e actual-play of Paizo’s Reign of Winter adventure path. We first officially launched our podcast in December 2019, and have recently started our second season as we entered Book 2 of the adventure. Last fall, we also launched a sister podcast, Severed Fate, which is playing through Carrion Crown and releases new episodes on Dimension Door’s off-weeks. We’ve all been playing Pathfinder together regularly for the past five years, and love that we are now sharing some of our adventures with an audience. We’re lucky enough to play with an experienced audio engineer and composer, and we take full advantage of his skills; Zac Kreitler edits our episodes, and also composes a fully original score for us.

Think you might be interested in what we do? Check out our website! We’ve got cast bios, character sheets, art, transcripts, and more! We also have an active Discord community, a Patreon with some great bonus content (including in-character interviews and some of the music tracks Zac has composed for us), and a merch store. All of our links are available on our website: dimensiondoorpodcast.com

James Schwarz – Producer and Game Master for The Dimension Door Podcast

My experience in TTRPGs started in 2017. I started as a player in my friend’s Pathfinder Rise Of The Runelords game which consisted of my best friend, two strangers to me (Zac and Amanda), and a woman whom I had gone on several dates with (Elizabeth). Several weeks later, we experienced a near TPK (my character was the only one to survive). The current GM wanted a chance to play, so I stepped in to try my hand at Game Mastering and was hooked. Several years into playing, one of the party members approached me and said, “You know, I think you’re entertaining to listen to, we should do a podcast.” And so it was. Since then, we have managed to push out new episodes that are fully scored and edited every two weeks, and have launched a second show to post on off weeks; Elizabeth and I have gotten married; and I plan to never stop telling stories with my friends.

When I’m not pumping coffee into my veins behind a GM screen, I pursue my career as an independent artist specializing in photography and ceramics.

Elizabeth Wilcox – Vasilisa Morozova on The Dimension Door Podcast

I play Vasilisa Morozova on The Dimension Door Podcast, and I also handle the social media for all of Dimension Door. I’ve been playing TTRPGs off and on for over a decade, but it’s only been in the past five years, since moving to Arizona and meeting the friends that I now play with on Dimension Door, that I’ve been able to really play regularly. Although I’ve tried a lot of different games and settings, most of my experience is in Pathfinder 1e. I absolutely love creating characters and really situating them in the world. I’m a massive fan of immersion, story-building and character development; it’s definitely the role-play that keeps me coming back to the game table.

My love of character and story can certainly partly be blamed on the creative writer within me. I have a degree in English Literature, and I keep a blog and co-run a fairy-tale book club (The Enchanted Garden Book Club) on a book-based website I co-founded called Briarbook Lane. I always have several creative writing projects in progress. I also wrote a novel-like narrative adaptation of the first ten episodes of The Dimension Door (available to read on our website), and am currently working on transcribing all of our episodes. In addition to all things TTRPG and book, I love mixology. I dabble in crafting custom cocktails, often inspired by characters from TTRPG campaigns (both ours and from other actual-play podcasts) or from books.

Today’s Question

A yellow, old-fashioned, New York style taxi cab meets your vision; it says ‘Grint and Stingos Transportation.’ A man with a funny hat and a round, hairy face beckons for you to come over. ‘You called?’ he asks croaky voice. As you begin to form an answer in your mouth, his door opens to reveal that it’s actually two gnomes with pointy shoes in the driver seat—one standing at the wheel and another laying on his belly to push the pedals with his little gnomey hands. “Well c’mon! We `aven’t got all day” the pedal-gnome squeaks. You realize that you should have about a million different questions in your head, but for some reason, the only one that comes to the surface is ‘why not?’

Grint and Stingo’s magical taxicab has transported you to your favorite fantasy setting. What is it? Why is it your favorite? And what are you going to try to do now that you’re there?

Answers

James Schwarz

Being thrust into a fantasy world by a pair of gnomes has always been a dream of mine. As much as I love the lore and setting of Golarion from Pathfinder, I have to return to my first love of fantasy. Now, when I mention a type of stand alone callbox that has the ability to take you somewhere, I’m sure most people jump to thinking of Dr. Who and will shout from the rooftops “James, that’s Science Fiction, not fantasy!” To which I respond, “you are correct, but I speak of the children’s classic The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster from 1961!”

It has been many a year since reading this book, but the cleverness and pun filled world of the Lands Beyond stuck with me. I would travel to many of the same locations as the protagonist, Milo. I would enjoy sinking my teeth into the very edible letters of the alphabet. Enjoy the feeling of rapidly becoming hungry while eating bowls of “minus soup.” The world Juster created seems to revolve around subtle puns. Like the “which”(witch), “whether (weather) man”, and Tock the watchdog, who has two large clocks positioned on either side of his haunches. The world is filled with these pockets of slight absurdities. Around every corner, there seems to be something new and unexpected. Experiencing them personally would flood me with nostalgia, and the amount of new things to experience and solve in the world outside of what is documented in the book staggers my mind.

The world isn’t perfect. There are plenty of dangers and problems faced along the way, but they all seem to have solutions. A brain teaser of sorts for any situation which might hold consequences. Puzzles in games have always been my favorite: finding the smallest strings to tug on in order to make the pieces fit. The intentional design of creating conflict while having solutions in mind is something that I appreciate. Knowing that there is a way to overcome a challenge makes me approach it with more confidence and the payoff for finally solving it is a rush of adrenaline I will never be tired of. I’m not saying I would thrive in this word, but I am saying I would enjoy almost every step.

This was a book that inspired me at a young age to ask more questions in the world around me. Trying to find those alternative solutions to problems and thinking of things in a different way to better understand them. Approaching challenging situations with the confidence that with a bit of thought, a solution could be found. With the encouragement of my wife, I plan on purchasing a copy of The Phantom Tollbooth and reading my favorite book for the first time in over 15 years.

Elizabeth Wilcox

Grint and Stingo’s magical taxicab screeches to a stop in a cloud of dust and smoke as we arrive on a well-traveled dirt road outside of a large city. I’ve arrived at the capital city of the kingdom of Ayortha, and I am beyond ready to see the sights and join in a community Sing! Ayortha is one of the kingdoms within the fairy-tale-inspired fantasy setting created by Gail Carson Levine for her book Ella Enchanted, and which she revisited in Fairest. (Note that I’m absolutely not talking about the Ella Enchanted film here; I like to pretend that movie doesn’t even exist, thank you very much. It’s hard to think about what Hollywood did to one of my favorite books.) It’s a bit unusual of a pick for a favorite fantasy setting, but it is absolutely a world I’d love to visit. Most fantasy settings I enjoy reading about would be far too bleak to actually enter; the war and strife that makes for good books doesn’t exactly make for a fun visit. The biggest threat when traveling in these kingdoms, however? You might be eaten by ogres. However, those ogres would also use their magically-persuasive voices to first convince you that they’re your best friends and that you would love to be eaten. There are worse ways to go, really.

There are plenty of places that would be really cool to visit in this setting: I could hang out in the forest with the elves, who eat only raw vegetation as fire would be unthinkable inside of their dwellings formed of living trees and other plant life, and who make some of the finest carvings and sculpture. I could visit a giant’s farm, and admire the care and thoughtfulness they put into their every action in an effort to avoid squishing their more delicate, tiny friends. A single bite for them could keep me full for a whole day, so that’s one household where I wouldn’t feel at all guilty about mooching for awhile as a houseguest. Another great place to see would be the gnomes’ caves. They could describe htun—the color they find most beautiful and rare, but which human eyes can’t discern at all—and I could admire their brilliant jewel, stone and metal crafts.

However, the reason I’d ask the gnomes to take their taxi right to the kingdom of Ayortha is that I’d love to start my visit by joining in the lovely Ayorthian tradition of a Sing. In Ayortha, singing is an integral part of society; they regularly gather together to sing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences to each other. They join in group song as communities to bond and to commemorate any occasion, joyful or sad. I’m not much of a singer, but I’d love to do my very best to take part, and to witness the beauty of a society centered around song.

If I’m in the setting to stay, I’m definitely going to try to make my way as a writer, gathering the stories of all the diverse peoples as I unabashedly get my tourist on throughout this beautiful world.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – Hideous Laughter Podcast

Hideous Laughter Productions

Hideous Laughter Productions is a group of friends who have come together to share our games with the world! Our goal is to bring characters and action to life by providing high-quality Pathfinder-centric TTRPG entertainment that makes the listener feel like they’re sitting right there with us at our table! We originally began in 2018 with our flagship show, The Hideous Laughter Podcast, an actual play podcast of Paizo’s Carrion Crown Adventure Path but have grown considerably since then!

As of today, we are deep into book four of this adventure and have multiple other shows to offer! Love the Hideous Laughter Podcast, but want to see behind the screens and hear exclusive interviews and product reviews? Check out our bi-weekly podcast on the main podcast feed “The Zone of Truth”! Want more premium 1e content? Check out The Linked Legacy Podcast! This anthology series departs from HLP tradition, putting different members of the HLP into the GM seat to tell new stories set against the backdrop of classic pathfinder modules. Available to all subscribers to the HLP Patreon at the $5 tier or above, the Linked Legacy podcast is sure to surprise and delight new and longtime listeners of the show alike. Finally, on June 4th 2021 we will be producing and launching a brand new, Pathfinder 2e-converted podcast titled Bestow Curse that will be an actual play of classic Pathfinder adventure Curse of the Crimson Throne! We can’t wait to share this show with the world and are so excited to bring the city of Korvosa to life with Paizo’s new 2e ruleset and character options!

If all of that sounds good to you, please feel free to find us everywhere you get your podcasts or at our website hideouslaughterpodcast.com. We can’t wait to share our adventures with you!

Griffin Norman

I am Griffin Norman, the primary Gamemaster for Hideous Laughter Productions. I dabbled in tabletop gaming with a short D&D 3.5 campaign in highschool but then didn’t come back to the hobby until 5 years ago post college. My primary system ever since has been Pathfinder 1e in which I’ve been a player in several Paizo campaigns as well as GMed many others. I have also played and run Starfinder and Pathfinder 2e along with other less rules-heavy systems. I’m fortunate that tabletop is how I’ve made many of the friends I have, and I’m even more fortunate that many members of my friend group enjoy both playing and GMing. I’ve never felt like a perpetual GM despite running most of the recorded games we produce on HLP. 

When I’m not rolling dice you can usually find me in my weightroom (a COVID necessity) or putting food on the smoker and cracking open a cold beer. I am also a big fan of horror media and I use it to inspire my games. In my day job I work in finance as well as strategic retail planning, so number crunching follows me from work to play. My fiancée and I also share a love for animals. Together we have two cats and two dogs who, despite our best efforts, you might see or hear on some of our live streams!

Steve Straple

Hey folks, my name’s Steven Straple and I’m a proud member of Hideous Laughter Productions! I’ve been playing TTRPG’s for about five years now and that’s included everything from full Paizo Pathfinder First Edition Adventure Path runs, to Starfinder Society one-shots and everything in between. Though I tend to spend considerably more time as a player than a GM, I certainly enjoy sitting on both sides of the screen! I’m originally from Chicago, but when work brought me out to Columbus, Ohio, Paizo’s pantheon of games was a fundamental part of how I made all the great friends that are a part of Hideous Laughter Productions today! When I’m not rolling natural 1’s in pivotal, game changing encounters, you can catch me at my day job helping provide electronic visibility to stuff in my company’s supply chain or consuming every bit of Star Wars media out there. Oh, and I also enjoy a good beer or shot of Malort from time to time!

Haley Gordon

I’m a player on the Hideous Laughter Podcast and will be playing on our new Bestow Curse Podcast coming soon! My favorite system is Pathfinder 1E but I’ve also GM’d or played in other systems over these five years since I first learned about TTRPGs. I really enjoy a mix of playing and GMing, but I end up as a player most often!

Outside of TTRPGs, I enjoy reading high fantasy books, knitting, arts/crafts, painting, and painting miniatures for our games. I generally like to use my creative side at home whether for games or for other hobbies since my job is more technical. In warmer weather, we spend a ton of time outdoors in our yard with our dogs and friends. As an animal lover, I spend a lot of time cuddling with our four pets! In my day job, I am a Logistics Manager for a department of around twenty for an architectural specialty building materials manufacturing plant. We do a lot of specialty acoustical and artistic jobs in a variety of places which is cool to be able to see installed all over the world. 

Emily Campbell 

I started playing TTRPGs in graduate school around five years ago. A friend started us with the Pathfinder 1e Beginner Box and we were hooked! Since then I’ve played scenarios, modules, adventure paths and have been a player in Hideous Laughter productions podcasts for almost three years. I have primarily played Pathfinder 1e but am excited to start playing Pathfinder 2e very soon. Outside of TTRPGs I am passionate about food and crafting! During the day I work as a Food Scientist in Product Development. On nights and weekends, when I am not playing Pathfinder, I’m knitting or crocheting. I love to make adventure and/or character specific items!

Brooks Campbell

I’ve been playing Pathfinder 1e for about five years. I started my experience with TTRPGs with Pathfinder 1e. Started playing with friends and the group kept growing. I’ve been a player in Hideous Laughter Productions podcasts for almost three years. I really like coffee and very much enjoy making and drinking coffee. I like being active and playing sports outside, especially golf. I play golf whenever I get the chance in any weather. I am a chemical engineer by education, process quality engineer currently. I work in a manufacturing plant.

Today’s Question

“Your paperwork is set and ready to go. All the material is on-hand and ready. Sometime in the next hour, all of your friends will arrive and the fun will begin. Tonight, you’ve got something extra special planned for your gaming group; you’d be nervous if you didn’t have a wealth of experience under your belt.”

Are you more of a GM or a player? What’s unique about your style as such, and what’s your style look like when you go above and beyond in it?

Answers

 Griffin’s Response

This is a difficult question for me to answer because I’ve spent nearly equal amounts of time in front of and behind the GM screen. Fortunately, that perspective has allowed me to become better at both!

As a Gamemaster I like to describe myself as an atmospheric GM and perpetual host. What I mean by this is I cater my prep to both the atmosphere of the story I’m trying to tell as well as the unique composition of the group I’m playing with. Is my Sunday game a lighthearted hack-n-slash dungeon crawl with a lot of jokes at the table? You’ll find me upping the ante with increasingly funny NPCs and providing situations where my players can show off how badass their characters are. All of this with the backdrop of goofy tavern tunes or pump-up battle rock. On the other hand, I might be running a more serious horror campaign like I do on the Hideous Laughter Podcast. In that case, I’m setting the scene with ominous lighting and unsettling music. That ritual the characters found to summon a Great Old One? I have a worn-looking handout with the ritual details and symbolism ready. That disgusting flesh golem abomination about to attack? I’m describing every gory detail of it from the creak of its bones to the sickly-sweet smell of its aged flesh all while dropping a huge custom printed and painted mini on the battle map.

I emphasize portraying my NPCs and setting authentically so that players can experience a world that feels real. Every character in my world has a unique voice (sometimes at the expense of my vocal chords) and personality no matter how minor a part they play. Every locale has a story, whether it comes from the back matter of a Paizo module or from my own head. I do this because it always impressed and delighted me as a player to feel transported to the story my GM was telling, and providing the right ambiance and creating realism in a fantasy world does that.

As the perpetual host I make my house an inviting gaming space. I’ve built a custom gaming table (with cup holders, dice trays, and outlets at every station), invested in lighting and music to set the tone, and gotten into 3D printing to provide all my players with custom character minis and make encounters that much more visually appealing. When my group decided we wanted to share our game with the world I made the game room into a studio that could easily accommodate the podcast as well as our ongoing home games. As a result, my house is the hub of all of my tabletop gaming and I take a lot of pride in how it elevates our games. It feeds into my GM style and allows me to prepare the scene to appeal not just to the characters’ senses, but to the players’ senses as well.

When I get the chance to play instead of GM I am continually looking for ways to better interact with the setting and other characters. I know how important player investment is in a campaign, so my characters are usually the type to move the plot forward through their actions or roleplay. That’s not to say my characters don’t take moments for self-reflection or have “side quest” goals, but I’m usually trying to prop up the story being told or giving other characters spotlight. When I initiate roleplay with another character or one of the GM’s NPCs it’s to bring something up in their backstory or in the overarching narrative. Because I don’t play as often as I did before starting a podcast, I usually fill the gap in the party. We need a ranged attacker? I’m all over it with a ranged inquisitor. We’re having trouble staying alive? How about I bring a chirurgeon alchemist to the table. I enjoy using my GM experience to create nonstandard character builds that fit the role I need to fill. 

Steve’s Response

The most fascinating & enticing thing to me about playing either side of the GM screen is the opportunity to inject as much juicy lore as I can into the game! I’d say that’s emblematic of my game style. For example: Am I playing a kobold PC this time? Cool! What might a typical kobold do in their day to day and what would make them pursue a life of adventure? What do the differences in scale color mean? Who do they pray to before bedtime? These are all the things I’m looking up online and in deep Paizo lore supplements to try and get a gauge on what I should be doing. Start online. Google your class, ancestry, home country, etc. Most everything has been thought of and written about and those simple online searches will take you to hyper-specific lore supplements and fantastic recommended reading. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t just conform to a perceived social ruleset for my characters, but understanding their assumed and perceived place in the world can go a long, long way to making a character that truly feels like they belong, whether or not they conform to or diverge from what others may expect of them! Understanding the historical precedents for your ancestry, skills, location, homeland, powers, etc. in your game’s continuity will truly help your character stand out among the cookie-cutter base builds out there!

I certainly get to flex these muscles less often, but on the GM side I like to do much of the same. Is the introductory hook for this adventure a little lackluster? No problem! What would compel the characters to be there? How can I make this seem natural? What stakes can I introduce to get their buy-in? For me, the answer to those questions is context. Perhaps a mysterious eldritch terror lurks in the shadows. Or a wily contract devil is talking our heroes into getting a job done while the menace of their infernal boss pulls the strings. Read about the bad guys in the world. Read other adventures that take place in the same area. I’m a big proponent of low-DC contextual knowledge checks. If it’s not plot-crucial but will give your players that “ohhhh this is way cool because I know this whatever” feeling, by all means, give them knowledge, give them lore. Anyone can roll dice against a party and keep track of monsters’ hit points. My favorite GM’s put me in the moment and help me understand WHY things matter in the bigger picture.

I guess my whole theory here is simple – Constructive dissatisfaction. Don’t be satisfied by your two-sentence backstory or your adventure’s stock baddies. Whatever role you’re trying to fill at the table, do the homework until you’re proud of what you’re bringing, I promise it’ll pay off. 

Haley’s Response

I’m certainly more of a player! I enjoy GMing, but generally am a pretty lax GM who likes to make those more fun/lighthearted games. I think it’s fun to let my players be goofballs or try something out that they wouldn’t commit to long term. I generally like playing something/someone that I can’t do/be in real life so I tend to play the more unusual characters. Part of the enjoyment for me is not being myself for a few hours and becoming this character with their own trials, tribulations, and emotions. I love when my character is developed somewhat on the fly because it feels more natural to how someone grows and adapts to what has happened around and to them. I spend a ton of time in the beginning of building my character working to explain in my head why my character would have particular abilities. I tend to ask a lot of questions of the character sheet to build the personality/background of the character. Some of the questions are things like what made this character learn to wield an axe over a sword? What point in their life did the magic of the elements become their strong suit? Who did they protect for so long to become a buff based caster? I think diving into those types of questions get at the nature of the character and help to build a backstory. 

Going above and beyond in my style is going full force into this character’s head. How do I think and make decisions like that character? This changes so much based on my character’s play but one thing that usually stays consistent for me is that I like classes/archetypes with versatility. Some of my characters are highly focused on one speciality but usually, I like to have a character that can flex so that as my character, I can make the right decision for the job! When I’m the GM instead, I think the same way. Who is this character? What are their motivations or what drives them? Getting inside their head is the best way for me to make them real which in turn, makes the world real for everyone else. Sometimes it doesn’t lead to the best strategic actions but it leads to what feels more real to me! 

Going above and beyond at the table as a group and bringing that feel to the party is all about working as a team to create a story and develop a world! I think a huge way to help is to understand what the rest of the party does to feel engaged in the world and help bring that to the table! I love good visuals so awesome lighting, maps, minis, dice that go to the character, and other props help bring the entire world alive inside and outside of combat. 

Emily’s Response

I am primarily a player in pathfinder 1e games. I am lucky enough to have multiple wonderful friends who are great GMs! My general mindset going into these games is one of collaborative storytelling. This helps me keep the emotions with the characters so, for example, I can love to hate my NPC archnemesis! My overarching goal in playing with my friends to tell a story together where every character gets their chance to shine! For my own characters my inspiration often comes from Disney princesses and more recently Disney villains. These inspirations give me a good starting point, but my best characters also have a piece of my personality within them. It helps me understand their motivations and give them more depth. I enjoy playing a variety of classes, but I always seem to gravitate toward playing a bard. I love the bardic performance, multitude of skills and synergizing with the party. 

To play my best in Pathfinder games I come prepared with more than just my character sheet. I work with my GM on backstory, giving plenty of details but also leaving room for story related elements to be woven in. Going further to get the character’s personality down I curate a list of puns, pathfinder jokes or witty insults. These are so fun to sprinkle in and help me stay in character! These preparations help get me invested in the game so I want to succeed in game. I take notes and track loot to progress the story and utilize resources. You never know when a specific potion or partial wand may come in handy! When I play my best, I get invested in the story and the inspiration from our adventures leaks out to my other hobbies. I love creating custom adventure dice bags or custom amigurumi of other player characters. Creating real live items inspired from the game helps bring the story to life!

Brooks’ Response

I am primarily a player in pathfinder 1e. I don’t have the improv skills to GM the way I would like. I prefer to play a support character but am also comfortable with melee and spellcasters when needed. I like to play in the moment. Whether that is the character does something daring or is slaying enemies. I put myself in my characters shoes to decide what needs to happen in the moment. This keeps the story and game dynamic and reactive. I like it when my character has background but has room to be molded by the story. The character can fit perfectly in the moment if you leave room for the character to grow into it. 

When I am playing my best I have good flashbacks for my characters. They are difficult for me to describe the way I imagine them because language is not my strong suit. I love what they can do for a character’s backstory. They make the characters come alive.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – Hero’s Shade

Hero’s Shade (he/him) (aka: Ryan Martin)

Hello! My name is Ryan and I’m an aspiring streamer and digital creative from Cleveland, OH. I’m a professional jack-of-all-trades and have worked across many industries from photography to instructional design to assessment science. I also once managed a bowling alley and an internet casino, the latter of which turned out to be an intricate scam I was not made privy to as the 19 year old applicant (but it was still better work than the bowling alley). I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up now that I’m over 30, but in the meantime, playing Pathfinder 2e with my best friends and trying to grow my streaming audience is probably a good segue. I tend to enjoy GMing at least a little more than playing, and our group has the interesting problem of being “Oops! All GM’s!” and so we tend to argue more over GM slots than player slots. For those of you “forever GM’s” trust me – it’s a different problem but not a better one!

Alex Friedman (he/him) “Big Tuff Al” “Louisa May”

Alex has been playing TTRPGs since the late 90’s, including Vampire: The Masquerade and Ninja Burger. Alex is one of two founding editors of The Journal of Dungeoneering for Hip and Attractive Professionals, an independent magazine collecting TTRPG art, culture, and letters with a reclaimed 2000’s “young professionals” aesthetic. He plays cleric/bard Louisa May in Hero’s Shade’s Abomination Vaults campaign. He is a writer and literary scholar in Pittsburgh, PA. Alex is also an avid home-cook. 

Marten Dollinger (he/him) “Garfman” “Mar10” “Sean”

Marten gets really into his games. He’s gamemastered every Paizo system and done a deep-dive into every WOTC system since 3rd edition. He’s been a student mentor, a college counselor, and now he solves IT problems. He plays the roguish ghostbuster, Sean, in Hero’s Shade’s live-streamed Abomination Vaults campaign. Marten also GMs the gang’s private Wednesday sessions, which they spend barrelling through Age of Ashes. He lives with his family in Cleveland, OH. Once, Marten accidentally got so into Magic: the Gathering that it became his full time job. He blames Alex.

RJ Kline (he/him) “Felix the Rogue” “Löic Amon” 

RJ has been Playing/Game Mastering in TTRPGs since 1989, starting with Robotech, Battletech, and Hero Games Champions 4th Edition. A few short months later, he moved to Star Wars D6, and never really looked back. He will sometimes run something else, but most of the time he will find something he likes and adapt it to D6. Normally he is the GM, but when he joined the Hero’s Shade Network, he is normally a player, which is quite cool! He can kick back, and dive deep into one character instead of fleshing out planets of people. He tends to research things heavily, so in Pathfinder he likes being a Magus or Sorcerer—even though his first Pathfinder character was a Ninja (PF1e)! He made it to 20th level with that character. Someday, he hopes to be skilled enough to play a Wizard! Some of the games he has played or GMed are: Battletech, Robotech, RIFTs, Champions 4th ed, 2nd ed Dnd (Spelljammer, Greyhawk, Planescape), 3.5 Dnd (Eberron, FRealms), Star Wars D6, Stargate D20, Heavy Gear, DCU RPG (D6), Mayfields DC Heroes RPG, DC Adventures (M+M RPG), Dresden Files RPG (Fate),  GURPs, Shadowrun (2nd, 4th, 5th), Pathfinder (1e,2e), Conan (2D20), Cyberpunk (2020, Red), Mage the Awakening, and finally, Star Trek RPGs (FASA, LUG, Decipher, Mödiphiüs). Games that he adapted to D6 rules: BPRD, Dresden Files, Stargate, a retooled Star Wars D6 that he calls Star Wars 3rd Edition, and an original setting: Adventures in the Draco Galaxy. Currently playing Löic Amon, a Sorcerer in Abomination Vaults. Outside of gaming, He is a bit of a polymath, he fences competitively at the national level (Epeé), enjoys photography, cooking, reading, writing, web design, graphic design, working on my car, building things, and enjoying movies/media.

Today’s Question

“After you wake from a memorable but not particularly pleasant fall, you notice people seem different. Words and numbers floating above their heads in the unmistakable shape of a stat block! Name, ancestry, class, special abilities, attributes, and skill scores are all listed in plain text. You wipe your eyes in disbelief, but the crunch remains. Another person enters your view. Another stat block. A car speeds by; a stat block speeds by. It doesn’t take long for you to get curious and search for a mirror. Sure enough, your own stat block is there too.”

As you read the stat block that accompanies you, this you: the real-life you, most things are as you would expect them to be. Your name is your name. Your attributes and skills all make sense to you. But what is listed under ‘class?’ What class would you be in TTRPG terms and why?

Answers

Hero’s Shade:

If I’m being honest (and frankly, maybe even generous) the class “Human Expert 4” would probably be under my name, along with several flaws that didn’t seem to grant any bonus attributes. However, in the spirit of fun I think I would be a Bard (if we’re speaking in Pathfinder 2e terms, likely a Polymath Bard with the Loremaster or Marshal archetype). Growing up being a big Final Fantasy fan, I’ve always really connected with the Red Mage – pretty good at fighting, can cast both Black and White magic, and is not particularly good at any one of those things. It’s a support position, and it’s one I tend to firmly root myself in during social gatherings and group projects. I can tread carefully and jimmy a lock, but you’d probably be better off pulling the heist off with the Rogue. I can hold the line in a battle, but I’d probably be absolutely destroyed by the Fighter. I think I am a fairly experienced leader, but the Champion is probably more experienced and inspiring; though being a polite and accommodating midwesterner, people are often trusting of my opinions (and are more often all too happy to insist I make the decisions so they don’t have to).

Being a dedicated generalist and support specialist aside, I think I share a lot of unique traits with the Bard. I like to create and entertain; admittedly, I love receiving praise and recognition from an appreciative audience. I know a little about a lot of things and am pretty good at faking it if I need to. I love music, and have cheesy taste in art. I tend to blend well in a variety of groups, and although my social anxiety is pretty bad, I generally come off as extroverted and amiable. I think I’ve secretly wanted to become an entertainer or educator of some sort my whole life, since I love making people laugh and think, but the need to hustle for dollars and anxiety has always stopped me, and what’s more Bard-like than a charismatic friend who’s afraid of failure? 

One thing I am particularly good at is research, which might bring my character sheet closer to a Wizard statblock. I’m an obsessive researcher when there’s something outside of my wheelhouse (see also: most things) that demands my attention. I’ve stayed up until 4AM on multiple occasions learning truly groundbreaking lessons, including the difference between ragu and bolognese sauce, which edition of Shadowrun is the best one to learn (spoilers, the real answer is Cyberpunk Red), what the appropriate soil composition for a vegetable garden should be (also did you know pressure treated wood is perfectly safe to use in a planter box?), and which knife sharpener will sharpen my knives most effectively. However, much of that knowledge leaves my head as soon as I learn it because cramming is not an effective learning method. That’s probably why Wizards write stuff down.

Alex:

After recovering from his gnarly and totally bogus concussion, Alex notes that a stat block has been added to his newly discovered menu screen. Beneath his name and extremely cute portrait picture, he sees that he is a 5th level human rogue. It all makes sense now, the urban spelunking under the Terminal Tower, his ability to bypass heavy wooden doors, the sneak attack dice he got with his degrees instead of a career… 

Marten:

After a four month hospital stay, Marten finally recovers from being thrown from the roof of his garage by a flock of pigeons. During the months of physical therapy that follow, Marten realizes he can see some sort of GUI in the bathroom mirror at the gym. Navigating through its menus, he finds a character sheet documenting his abilities.

As a 5th level Starfinder Envoy with a deep understanding and appreciation for TTRPG systems, MAR-10 intuitively retrains feats in anticipation of the universe’s chaotically expanding entropy. Current feat selections include Startled Scream at 1st,  Disease Adaptation at 3rd (retrained from Lightning Reflexes) and Profession Mastery at 5th (retrained from Tactful Advisor). Due to a brief stint as a Buccaneer that may or may not still be canon, he gained proficiency with rapier and access to the uncommon Hurley stick, which he treats as a martial weapon for the purposes of determining proficiency.

RJ:

Technomage, 10th level. Forever I am a dreamer, shaper, and maker. I know many things. I can use words to inspire, cause love, and to say goodbye with. I know the invocations of equations and programming languages.  I can make beauty of a blank webpage, or cause it madness. I can connect people and computers together via routers and hubs. I know the language of routers and speak it well. Firewalls do not impress me. At will I can bring harmony and peace to a machine or person. Data is the sea I can swim most readily in and breathe its heady air. Where art and tech meet, that is where I am.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. Who’s your favorite character? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – The WafflesMapleSyrup Network

Stefan (aka Waffles)

I spent most of my immediate time after high school in the US Navy as a Nuclear Engineer. Afterward, I took up a Project Manager job and am now completing my Nuclear Engineering Bachelor’s degree. I have been playing TTRPGs since I was about 13 years old, in a home-brewed version of DnD3.5. When my uncles and dad were playing, the DM wanted me to come roll dice, and then explained how I was a dragon. I kept watching and fell in love with the games, eventually GMing my first game when I was 18. Taking a break during the military, I picked back up play afterward online with DnD5e and Pathfinder1e, eventually moving over to Pathfinder2e proper when it came out. That is when we began streaming and podcasting at the beginning of the year 2020.

Besides TTRPGs, I spend a lot of my time with college work completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering, my girlfriend, crafting epoxy handmade dice, and playing with our dogs Nyx and Bacchus.

Alek aka Mysticsage “Mystic”

I’ve been in the online tabletop space for a little over a decade when I first joined a roleplaying forum my senior year of high school. When I started as a teenager with D&D 3.5, I was looking to strengthen my foundations as a writer so that I can eventually get a book published. What I found with the various communities I’ve joined has gone beyond any expectations I ever had, including lifelong friends across the world that I would never have had a reason to meet otherwise. The opportunity to join WMS and share our story with an even wider audience just goes above and beyond what I ever thought possible

Cory aka Karik

Hello, my name is Cory, though I go by Karik online and at the table!  I have been playing TTRPGs since I was in my early teens (and RPGs since before then) and started with D&D 3rd Edition.  I have been playing online for the past 5+ years, mostly as a DM however I joined as a player in a game run by Waffles way back when and that is what eventually found me joining up with the WMS crew!  When I am not involved in some TTRPG then I typically am delving into some video game or chatting with friends on Discord!

About The WafflesMapleSyrup Network

The WafflesMapleSyrup Network is a network dedicated to streaming and podcasting Tabletop Roleplaying Games live on Twitch before taking each individual track and producing them into a high-quality podcast version of the show. They also dedicate time to dice, art, maps, and their inclusive community of kind hearts.

Everything about us can be found at www.wafflesmaplesyrup.com.

The backlog and current season of our show can be found at www.wafflesmaplesyrup.com/listen for the podcast version and www.youtube.com/c/WafflesMapleSyrup for the videos including our stream overlay and custom-made maps.

We are on Twitter @WafflesMaple and Instagram @wmspod and we boast an amazing and interactive discord community.

In case you would like to support us and help us keep providing quality content, we offer some amazing incentives over at patreon.com/wafflesmaplesyrup.

Today’s Question

“After you wake from a memorable but not particularly pleasant fall, you notice people seem different. Words and numbers floating above their heads in the unmistakable shape of a stat block! Name, ancestry, class, special abilities, attributes, and skill scores are all listed in plain text. You wipe your eyes in disbelief, but the crunch remains. Another person enters your view. Another stat block. A car speeds by; a stat block speeds by. It doesn’t take long for you to get curious and search for a mirror. Sure enough, your own stat block is there too.”

As you read the stat block that accompanies you, this you: the real-life you, most things are as you would expect them to be. Your name is your name. Your attributes and skills all make sense to you. But what is listed under ‘class?’ What class would you be in TTRPG terms and why?

Answers

Stefan (aka Waffles)

At first, my brain initially went to classify myself as a Wizard. But then, the smart Wizard brain that it would have been realized, I don’t cast magic in real-life, unfortunately. So, without the ability to cast magic, I thought a little more ‘creatively’. Hence, I believe I would be an Inventor with a multiclass into Bard. Taking a little love and flavor from Paizo’s Pathfinder2e playtest, Inventor would definitely transfer what I do in real-life into TTRPG terms. The ability to think creatively, use my brain to come up with sideways solutions to problems, and constantly have creations to put out in the real world is what I’m about. Then, to think in terms of the streams and podcasts I am a part of, the worlds I create, and the tales I spin, I imagine a Bardic dip would definitely be warranted. At first, my brain initially went to classify myself as a Wizard. But then, the smart Wizard brain that it would have been realized, I don’t cast magic in real-life, unfortunately. So, without the ability to cast magic, I thought a little more ‘creatively’. Hence, I believe I would be an Inventor with a multiclass into Bard. Taking a little love and flavor from Paizo’s Pathfinder2e playtest, Inventor would definitely transfer what I do in real-life into TTRPG terms. The ability to think creatively, use my brain to come up with sideways solutions to problems, and constantly have creations to put out in the real world is what I’m about. Then, to think in terms of the streams and podcasts I am a part of, the worlds I create, and the tales I spin, I imagine a Bardic dip would definitely be warranted.

Delving in a little more to the Inventor first, I believe my Innovation would be Process. The ability to innovate and develop processes is key to making a balance between a creative streaming/podcasting life and real-life. Developing the processes is what allows us to strive to be better every time we put content into the world. I would also venture to say I’m probably about level 4, with both of the class-feats being dipped into the Bard Multiclass Archetype.

Only two feat dips into the Bard Multiclass Archetype makes sense to me, considering that while I’m a storyteller and world builder, the foray into the “professional and learned” side of that like a Bard would have, has only been over the past year to two. Double that up with now being on live-streams and creating content, I will gladly take up the mantle of a multi-classed Bard.

I have to imagine that going down this road though, that I was allowed to take the free Core Archetype of Beastmaster Dedication so that my dogs can adventure along with this life with me since they are an important part of it. With the rest of the adventuring party of WafflesMapleSyrup, I believe I fill a good supportive role while also having the capability to be the face if needed. And thus, you now know the real-life TTRPG Waffles.

Alek aka Mysticsage “Mystic”

If anyone could see my real-life stat block, I think the only class that I could be in is a Bard, without question. For me, the bard walks the line between the wizard’s intellectual intelligence and the cleric’s emotional intelligence. They are both the masters of social interaction and a wealth of information for every subject under the sun regardless of how niche or useful, and they create a balance that few others can match. That balance is something that I have always tried to create in my own life. I have always studied things that have interested me no matter how obscure or meaningless the subject may seem on the surface, I’ve always found that it has use somewhere at some time or other. Also like the bard, I understand that while I may be okay on my own I function better as a part of a group. I know I would be nothing without my support structure that I’ve built up over time. Every bond I’ve made even for a limited time means something special to me and has its own story behind it. Speaking of stories, storytelling is at the center of the bard’s holistic approach to life.

Regardless of medium, be it through dance, music, art, acting, or writing, the bard knows the value of narrative. That narrative is the ultimate form of legacy that allows the past to reach the present to create the future. And while I may still not be at the point where my craft is as sharp a blade as your average bard’s. My dreams are the same. I want to tell the stories that have been in my head since I was small. To share with others worlds and people that they would never otherwise see, so that maybe they can see our own world in new ways. After all, it is my opinion that life does it’s best to imitate art given enough time. While I doubt I’ll make something groundbreaking like Issac Asimov or as heart wrenching as Dickens. I believe every story has an audience somewhere and if I can reach even one person then it’s worth it. After all isn’t that part of the core appeal of any story based game?

It provides the chance to escape from one reality and experience some new part of ourselves that would be difficult to explore otherwise. Bard’s like me just understand that power of the heart and mind in people and venerate it. No simple equations or will of the gods could ever hope to match something so powerful as the will even if it can be a bit fragile at times. So please, if you see me around feel free to say hi! Us bard’s are always looking for the next interesting story or bit of lore that might come in handy! Even if we get a bad wrap as the clowns or puppet masters we care deeply for others, and we here to chronicle the good times and the bad. We feel your happiness and your pain and watch with glee everyday someone decides to take a leap of faith to make their own adventures! At least that’s what they taught me at my college!

Cory aka Karik

If I found myself waking up as a TTRPG class then I think I would end up being a wizard. It also happens to be one of my favorite classes to play, when I actually end up being a player. I think the main reason I would be a wizard is that they are a very versatile class with the ability to achieve great power. To be able to handle nearly any challenge of any magnitude, I can’t see how it would not draw people to it. Not to mention, wizards are also fairly inquisitive by nature and if I were suddenly in a world where magic were real you can bet I would be exploring it in an instant.

With a bit of planning and foresight a wizard can tackle nearly any task before them, and though it takes a great deal of time and effort it would be something the real me would be more than willing to pursue. In time those versatile tools become unbelievably powerful as well, and power is always a draw to someone. Not that I want to be an evil archmage (Who, me? No never…), but even at its most basic magic makes life quite convenient and provides comfort and reassurance. Prestidigitation your chores away, your house pet is a familiar that can shift to whatever creature you want to hang out with that day, and you can slow fall when you fall off the roof clearing the snow from it! For when things are getting more serious, a shield to protect you, firebolts to defend you, and misty steps to get you out of there! As a person who likes to be confident in their decision making, the abilities of a wizard would be very much what I value. Does it mean I can’t fail? Of course not. But being a wizard gives you a sense of control, and when things go wrong at least you know where the fault lies.

The inquisitive aspect is also important to me as well – and why I think wizard would simply be the class I would find myself as. If the whole world was open to you, and by intense studying you could unlock it, how could you not? As much as I am not one who enjoys taking tests or writing papers, I love to learn. I enjoyed highschool and college a great deal, and was always eager to delve into what was being taught. True, memorization was never my strong suit so I don’t expect the Keen Mind feat or anything, but learning and trying to understand more about the world around me was always enjoyable and exciting to me. Being a wizard invites inquiry, and to push bounds, and that is why by my very nature a wizard is the right class for me.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. Who’s your favorite character? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Derry Luttrell

Hey gang! I’m Derry, the Genderfluidiest GM of Dice Will Roll! I’m a soon-to-be college graduate studying Animation & Illustration, and since I was a little kid, I wanted to tell stories to the world. Maybe it’s the seannachtaí culture of Ireland, where I’m born and raised, that celebrates tales being told through word of mouth by the travelling bards… Maybe it’s an overactive imagination fueled by rampant ADHD and an avenue to talk for hours and have people happily listen. The world may never know!

Dave P.

Ritz Summy

Today’s Question

Intending to treat yourself to a cup from your favorite coffee shop, you accidentally stumble into Samroald’s Travelling Emporium. As you look around, you notice that the store is full of armors, weapons, jewelry, clothing, knick-knacks, powder, potions, and all manner of whimsical objects. Behind you, daylight pours in through the glass door which bears the name of your intended coffee shop in mirrored letters.

‘Well, what’ll it be?’”

Samroald has every published magic item from every TTRPG ever made, and he’s going to let you take one back home with you to the real world. What do you take and why?

Answers

Derry Luttrell

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of guests answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests – Find the Path
Rick Sandidge

I am Rick Sandidge, the host and Gamemaster for the Find the Path Podcast. I’ve been an avid TTRPG player since the mid-90’s and obsessed with d20 systems since the old AD&D days. While I loved the 3.0/3.5 D&D system I, like so many others, jumped into Pathfinder during the Beta test and have never looked back. After years of playing with various groups I eventually met the wonderful people I now game with and together we launched the Find the Path Podcast! While I do enjoy sometimes just playing Pathfinder my true passion is sitting behind the GM screen and breathing life (sometimes unholy life) into the amazing tales in the Pathfinder Adventure Path line. When not running, recording, or editing Pathfinder games I enjoy playing video games and reading. I have a particular fondness for late nineteenth and early twentieth horror novels and weird fiction. Also cats. I love cats.

Rachel Sandidge

I am Rachel Sandidge, and I have been playing Pathfinder since meeting my now husband, Rick Sandidge, nearly 8 years ago. He agreed to teach myself, and a few close friends how to play, and y’know, at this point, we may be a little hooked. In fact, I’m currently part of the Find the Path Podcast where I play in several different games. For Mummy’s Mask, I play the artistic Rogue, Sitra Naham-ra, and for our Patreon exclusive game of Tyran’t Grasp, I play Darcy Driscoll, the pessimistic tattooed sorcerer. My most recent character is that of Vittoria Scordato, a dedicated investigator in our Hell’s Rebels campaign.

I have always enjoyed the creative outlet of character creation. After hearing about a campaign, I usually have a few ideas dancing about in my head. Thankfully, my day job allows me to be just as creative as I currently write content for educational games. I am responsible for writing stories, lessons, and conversation dialogue. It’s incredibly rewarding, and I do my best to write something students would actually want to read or play. I can empathize with Paizo writers who do their best to write adventures that thousands of people, all with different opinions, will enjoy playing. It’s definitely not as easy as people think.

Jessica Jenkins

My first experience with TTRPGs was the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Game way back in high school. Nowadays I’m part of the Find the Path crew. You can find me playing characters like Hollis, Ailsa, and Adria in our actual play podcasts. When I’m not playing, I make my money designing EdTech games to teach kids how to read because reading is the gateway to a better life (and dragons).

Jordan Jenkins

I’ve been playing pen and paper RPGs for seven years, almost entirely Pathfinder with a splash for Starfinder for fun. Since we started Find the Path, I’ve played in every show we’ve done, and contributed to and edited our Research Check and Share Lore podcasts. Outside of roleplaying I work as a software engineer, architect, and manager.

About Find the Path

Composed of a group of longtime friends, Find the Path produces content that invites gamers and non-gamers alike into the Age of Lost Omens and the Pathfinder RPG system. Known for their strong grasp of the Pathfinder rules system and genuine, cooperative table dynamics, Find the Path tells engaging and exciting stories full of diverse, multifaceted characters and epic fantasy adventure. Their deep understanding and respect for real-world history and culture truly brings the world of Pathfinder to life for listeners, and their ability to seamlessly weave explanations of the rules into the story is a great way for those who want to play Pathfinder to get an introduction to the system. Along with high quality audio and a respectful attitude toward each other and listeners, Find the Path is building a vibrant, positive community.

Today’s Question

“Bards sing of the brave adventurers that destroyed Xandarion many years ago, but if that’s true, then why is an army of the undead massing in the northern swamps near his old fort? Has the old lich returned? Did he escape justice all those years ago? It’s almost impossible to know what really happened on that fateful mission from the tales, but one thing is certain—this growing threat must not be allowed to endanger the kingdom once again. Queen Sivrunn has offered a fortune to any brave heroes that can stop this threat before it grows out of hand, and a team of heroes has answered the call.

The stale air of this ancient, dying forest tastes acrid, but you haven’t the time to worry about such unpleasantries. Your party’s boots push dark indents in the soggy soil while you plod your way to the lich’s castle. Xandarion may think he’s got the upper hand, but you know something he doesn’t. The hostage in his dungeon? A plant. It was all part of the plan to allow the old fool to put *this* person behind bars. As you and your comrades near the dilapidated fort, it’s not the life of your agent on the inside that you’re worried about. It’s your own.”

For each of you, your favorite PC  joins the adventuring party to go investigate and put a stop to the threat in the swamps. Who is it and why are they your favorite?

Answers

Rick: I probably have an easier time picking my favorite character than the rest of the FtP crew as I’ve actually only played in a few games and so I have a smaller selection to choose from. Of these there is one that particularly stands out, my Carrion Crown character.

When it comes to making characters I take a different approach than many players, as I am more used to thinking about a story from the Gamemasters viewpoint. I usually start with what I know of the Adventure Path and then try to make the character I would most like to see if I were the GM for the campaign. In the case of Carrion Crown I knew from the Players Guide that it’s a story of Gothic Horror set in the undead haunted nation of Ustalav and that it began with the party attending the funeral for a late professor. Knowing this I decided on an academic and former student of the professor turned adventurer, and so my human inquisitor Gavril Valduvra was born!

I began with three ideas I wanted to mesh together into one character. First was the academic angle, which fit wonderfully with the gothic horror fell of the adventure. Just look at how many well educated figures are central protagonists in the novels Carrion Crown takes inspiration from! Second, I knew from the start that I wanted to play a devout follower of Pharasma as she is the largest faith in the nation, and I loved the idea of playing an inquisitor as a hunter of the undead. The idea of a Victorian style inquisitor brought to mind all these images of D from Vampire Hunter D, the hunters from Bloodborne, or the Brotherhood of the Wolf. Thirdly, I wanted to add a bit of the Weird that would help explain why he became an adventurer. I chose the Reincarnated trait for Gavril and decided that he was the seventh reincarnation of a warrior that fell during the Shining Crusade that Pharasma wouldn’t grant final rest until he achieved an unknown goal.

I combined these three ideas together and mixed in a fair bit of tragedy to create what was honestly a wonderful character to play. Gavril was a favored student of the Professor and even taught for a time at the University of Lepidstadt. There he met a traveling investigator, a Sleepless Detective who sought him out for his expertise on the undead, and the two soon fell in love and married. They had a single daughter and lived a happy life for nearly a decade, until his wife was murdered mysteriously. In grief Gavril turned to his faith and in prayer learned of

his previous incarnations. With this knowledge he fully embraced the Goddess of Fate believing that she would lead him to his wife’s killers. Gavril unjustly blamed the Professor for his wife’s death as he had been helping her in the investigation that got her killed. He severed all ties with the Professor the day of his wife’s funeral. While he eventually came to realize his mistake in this he never had the opportunity to apologize before the Professor himself died.

I left a lot of details vague in my backstory and fellow FtP crew member Ross Scoggin, who was the Gamemaster for the story, did a wonderful job linking it all to the Adventure Path. Gavril eventually discovered his wife’s killers, atoned for his failures as a friend to the Professor, and perhaps eventually broke the cycle of reincarnation, though only time will tell if that’s true. Heck, Gavril was even able to move on from his grief and found love again!

I think the thing I enjoyed the most about this character was the way he fit into the party and the setting. I unintentionally made a character that became a defacto older brother figure for most of the group. He was rarely the central protagonist of the story, but often played a mentor role and I felt he helped move the story forward. I also found that by making a character so closely tied to the setting and theme of the story that I was always engaged in both the narrative and action.

So yeah, Gavril Valduvra, the best character I ever made!

Rachel: Favorite character, huh? I doubt anyone in my gamer group is going to be surprised by my answer. A few years back our group participated in the beta test for the Advanced Class Guide, and I created Theodora Fellows, my halfling investigator who could put Sherlock’s know-it-all nature to shame.  Granted her original iteration in the play test wasn’t quite so obnoxious. I was still feeling out the character so I focused on learning the mechanics more than anything else. I enjoyed that aspect so much,  I decided to use the same character for our groups’ run through of Rise of the Rune Lords.  Thus I delved more into her backstory, and why she was the way she was.

Theodora was the youngest of 5 children, and  quite Matilda-esque in that she read anything and everything she could get her hands on. She did get a slight high from knowing information other people didn’t and I leaned into that as I played the character. Much of her backstory involved building her intellect, and proving herself  to others however she could. Unfortunately, this had a habit of rubbing people the wrong way. In fact, the reason my character began the campaign in Sandpoint was because she ticked off a nobleman and found herself banned from Magnimar.

I didn’t end up using the more alchemical leanings of the Investigator. I went for the Steelhound archetype that gave Theodora a firearm. There may have been a few occasions where my fellow players may or may not have been shot instead of our enemies, but it was never intentional, which Theodora was sure to point out.  But Theodora, while a damage dealer with her gun, was more of a boon out of combat because of her knowledge skills. She had no fear about questioning anyone about anything. She even sassed a Rune Lord straight to his face.

I think I enjoyed playing Theodora so much because the character was a bit of a caricature of myself. I love mysteries, am just a bit competitive (a lot competitive), and enjoy learning about anything and everything. As a writer that’s pretty much a requirement. Theodora, however, ramps everything up to 11, and it was just fun.

So while I have created many a character, Theodora, my sassy investigator, continues to be my favorite.

Jessica: Wow, it’s hard to pick a favorite character because I put a little of myself in every one I make. But since I have to pick just one to wax poetic about, I’d love to tell you all about my character in our Mummy’s Mask actual play. Hollis Starkweather is an elven wizard from Quantium by-way-of the Mana Wastes. She dresses like an old school cowboy, has a broken pistol, and carries around her silkie chicken familiar, Sugar. She speaks with a southern drawl, thinks magic should be the answer to every problem, and has over 10 ranks in Profession Cook. Mummy’s Mask is set in the Golarian analogue of Ancient Egypt. So Hollis feels a little like playing a hyper-smart, magical “American” from The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser. Though I try to play Hollis as friendly and helpful, even when she doesn’t have to be. Hollis is Ace, and while she could be sad that everyone around her will die before she does, she tends to focus on the fact that magic can mostly prevent that if people are amenable to the idea. Like… Living Monoliths and constructs don’t age, right?

She’s also the first wizard I’ve ever gotten to play to a higher level than five (long story — I thought wizards were cursed because games where I played them always fell apart), and IT IS GLORIOUS! I picked abjuration as her Arcane School because I really wanted to challenge the way people think about wizards. They aren’t all about the big booms, y’know? Playing Hollis, who is now 11th level, is a lot like playing three-dimensional chess and that’s what I love about playing her. Sure, I can cast a Fireball, but is that the most flavorful or interesting thing to do? How can I take spells that someone would usually overlook and just checkmate a bad guy? Delightful.

On top of all of that, Sugar is such a fun familiar. She’s a super fluffy, white silkie chicken, which is already ridiculous, and she has a cool archetype. The Sage Archetype gives her bardic knowledge, her own skill ranks, and a bonus to her Knowledge checks equal to half Hollis’s level. She’s also SO SMART! I think her Intelligence is up to 14 now? I made sure that Hollis didn’t take any ranks in Knowledge: Nobility so that I could hand those checks over to Sugar. I explain this as Sugar likes to watch and read up on her “stories” which is all the hot goss about the nobles.

I think one of the best things about playing Hollis is doing something that surprises Rick, our GM. Anytime I can cast a spell or think of an idea that makes Rick go, “Hmm.” and spend a few minutes looking things up or thinking about how to respond, I consider that a win for the day.

Jordan: As a player who’s always been interested in exploring myself through my roleplay, my favorite character of all time is actually Octavius Black. Octavius is my character for Find the Path’s Patreon-exclusive podcast of Tyrant’s Grasp. While at the time of this writing we’re only in the second book of the adventure path, Octavius is a very different character from the type I usually play. Octavius is an oracle of battle who fought in the World Wound before hanging up his sword to get married, have a kid, and settle down as a woodworker. At the start of the adventure Octavius suffers from PTSD, functional alcoholism, and a permanent case of “the grumps”. He’s gone rusty, which is a very un-Gorumite thing to do! His days pre-adventure involve whittling handles for tools and being haunted by the friends he lost in the war. Which also makes him a deeply flawed husband and father. You’ll obviously have to listen to learn more about him. But Octavius is different because, while I always put a part of myself in my characters, Octavius required more research, and more careful consideration than I usually do for my characters.

The subject of mental health is a very sensitive subject, especially when you’re tackling it publicly for a podcast. While I have a history of ADHD and depression, PTSD is another beast entirely, and a very real condition that will affect an estimated one in eleven people in the U.S. alone during their lifetime. I did a ton of research on the condition, including symptoms, treatments, and learned a lot in the process. I walk a careful line in being authentic to that kind of character and being effective as a PC in a TTRPG where other players are depending on my character to come through. Octavius represents a huge challenge in that matter, on top of what’s in store in the Tyrant’s Grasp adventure path.

For me, that’s the fun of it. I like a challenge, whether it’s finding a new funny accent to do for a character or solving a seemingly impossible situation. Octavius lets me be tactically vulnerable. Octavius is a surprisingly cathartic character to play. I’m not a person who shows a lot of anger in my personal and professional life. I tend to handle it by playing violent video games or talking it out. But there is something fun about saying the occasional rude thing or screaming out vengeful words against your enemies. Or crying. Tyrant’s Grasp is a real roller-coaster. The emotional moments have been the most fun in playing Octavius, and makes him a joy to come back to week after week.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. Who’s your favorite character? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests

RPG Industry Professional: Paul Fields

I started playing Basic D&D in the 80s, and I’ve played all sorts of sci-fi, fantasy, mecha, supers, vampire games ever since; and for the last four years, I’ve been releasing RPG supplements as Evil Robot Games. I took up fencing in college, killed Richard the III onstage, threw telephone poles for fun at my local Ren Faire. I studied graphic arts and architecture, but now I fight computer goblins for a living.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Loren Sieg aka The DovahQueen

I’ve been playing pen and paper RPGs since 2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, and I’ve been a part of the Know Direction Network for many years now. You can listen to me play always-chaotic characters here at KD and over at Roll for Combat, and you can listen to Legend Lore that I cohost with Luis where we teach and talk about Pathfinder 2nd Edition. I’m working on my PhD at the University of Alabama where I’m doing research on animal intelligence from inside an integrative animal behavior laboratory.

Fan: Charles Cushman AKA Swizarmi/Raptor

I’ve been playing and DMing pen and paper RPG’s since the glorious day that version 1 of Star Frontiers was released. Through my creative concern Raptorforge I have created a number of board games, written copy for toy companies and supported electronic game development. My current gaming passion is plot, game design and costuming and props for Live Action Role Playing.

Today’s Question

You know what would be cool?” your players say to you, one at a time. Normally these are magic words to you as their GM designing their next campaign. But as your players share their ideas, you realize they each have extremely different definitions of cool. Now you have a list of elements that do not mesh, and four players who would be heartbroken if their idea didn’t make it into your next campaign.

Brew up a unique setting based off the interests of each of your four players. Roll a d6 for each player and consult the table to determine what each would like to see in the next game. Tell us what you rolled and how you would use all four elements for your next campaign.

Answers

Paul Fields

BIRDS    MODERN    SOLVING MYSTERIES    NINJAS

My first thought is Ducktales, but with Ninjas.

It’s a modern setting with anthropomorphic birds; I choose Starfinder to have easy access to Espraska, Vlaka, Pahtra, and Uplifted Bears. I’m building non-combat challenges by borrowing some general rules from Gumshoe’s scenario and clue advice for the mysteries. Operative NPCs with pointy objects are my Ninjas.

Now for the setting, I wanted a world of mysteries that would hold up to more than a couple of game sessions if played straight. I needed a variety of mysteries, murder, robberies, and other strangeness. I also needed a framework to get the players to solve problems that were more X-Files and Fringe than fantasy dungeon crawling.

Perplexity Falls is a gambling resort town carved out of the unforgiving desert by organized crime in the 1940s. Miners founded the city near the ruins of an enormous trading hub built by a long dead indigenous civilization centuries before the western settlers came. Local mineral deposits and geological formations affect the weather and disrupt scientific instruments. The addition of nearby military bases, cutting edge scientific research, and UFO sightings have brought intrigue to the city like a magnet.

Between alien artifacts, cowboy ghosts, and weird weather, the maelstrom of chaos will bring you down if you let it. That’s the reason multinationals like Montague Consolidated hire hackers, private eyes, mystics, scientists, and troubleshooters to keep the chaos away from their bottom line. As consultants for the wealthy philanthropist Graham Montague, the players have access to a wide variety of cases without locking them into the rigid structure of the Fringe Division or the Unsolved Cases Unit of the X-Files FBI. Being consultants, they’re free for private citizens to prevail upon their time to solve missing persons cases, or baffled police departments and security companies might drop by from time to time to borrow their expertise to solve impossible heists. Being consultants, they’re also free to cross paths with the FBI, police, and other agencies when they’re not on the same side of a case.

If anyone who’s gotten this far thinks I’ve forgotten the ninjas, I have not.

A group of unnamed criminals is on a crime spree, committing burglaries all around the city. Whenever video footage of them emerges, the villains are always wearing high tech suits and masks. So far, their skills have proven greater than some of the city’s most advanced security systems. Forensic analysis from a recent break-in shows metal floor grates cut with laser precision and bulletproof glass singed by high energy plasma. Although the press has been calling them ninjas, our guess is they come from somewhere other than feudal Japanese mountains.

Ashley Montague invites you all into the richly appointed conference room at Montague consolidated; she’s the well dressed, polite, and perfectly coifed face of the arts and sciences division. We lost another high-tech battery prototype last night. I need you to get it back for me.

Loren Sieg

So first off, this feels like an episode of undercover boss to me. BtK has always been a blast for me because it’s so neat to see the incredible responses I get from you guys. Responses have run the gamut from surprising to endearing to curious, but they’ve never been boring. And now, I’m sitting in the ‘guest’ seat and realizing that every one of my previous guests have set a very high bar.

…but I’m not one to be outdone. So let’s see if we can give these players something to knock their socks off.

Diana – Birds.

Ok, don’t have a lot of initial ideas to work with on that. Maybe something where birds are a really common tool—like how they used to be used as messengers but more jobs and seen in more places.

Eric – Superhero.

Ok, so admittedly, I’m not really that big into superhero stuff. Spandex, big smiles, and secret lairs never really appealed to me, but that’s not really the only way to represent superheroes right? My three favorites, in no particular order, are Gambit, the Punisher, and Thor. Don’t judge me for throwing Frank Castle in with that lot; he counts. Fight me. Thor though…hmm…that gives me some ideas.

Shelia – Shades of Grey Morality.

This is my jam! I honestly think that if you don’t have this theme in your game, you’re not trying hard enough, because this is how life works. And it’s what makes us really think about our games in a way that forces our immersion.

Bobby – Robots.

Ok, now my idea is really starting to come together. Robots can add a level of philosophical thought that is very conducive to having tough decisions. On top of that, it’s a carte blanche pass to go full sci-fi with this like I was kind of hoping.

I have my idea. It’s a very Cyberpunk meets Game of Thrones kind of setting. Let’s run this in the Mutants and Masterminds system so that players are only limited by their imagination. I like how that system has effects, actions, and costs. You pick a slew of effects or action based on what you’re able to spend, and then you create all of the concept behind it.

Welcome to the planet Midgard. Your country, Vanaheim, lost the war with Asgard some 10 years ago and has been occupied by them ever since. President Freya encourages cooperation with the Asgardian oppressors, but the working stiffs of Vanaheim, your people, suffer starvation, police brutality, and over taxation.

The Asgardian overlord, Odin, has his eyes and ears all over the city in the form of robotic Ravens. It’s hard to do anything in the city without a little metal bird betraying your words and actions to the Asgardian occupiers. If Big Brother suspects any kind of behavior against the state, enforcers armed with high-end tech and genetic enhancements quickly eliminate the threats of resistance.

Some of the notable enforcers include:

Loki who uses invisibility tech, disguise tech, and hacking tech to ferret out secrets the resistance would prefer to keep hidden.

Thor who uses genetically enhanced strength, gene-enhanced endurance, and powerful lightning-weapons to brutally and publicly eliminate those deemed “enemies of the state.”

Balder whose subdermal armor keeps him nearly invulnerable to small arms fire. He only takes down criminals who are a threat to both the Vanir and the Asgardians. Then, he uses his personality enhancement tech to spew propaganda on live television after the fact.

You, the PCs, are a small pocket of the resistance, and your system has just received a message from a mysterious benefactor who only identifies themselves as “H.” They offer a way to hide your systems from Odin’s enforcers, and they offer information—the time and location that a Raven will go offline for a period of 5 minutes. It would make for a very useful tool if you can successfully capture it during this time and modify to suit your needs and plans.

What the PCs don’t know is that this information comes from a criminal syndicate that operates out of Helheim to the South. This is the legendary Hel, and she seeks to help ‘liberate’ Vanaheim and in the process weaken the Asgardians enough for her syndicate to unseat Odin and establish itself as the leading regime of Asgard. Hel doesn’t care how many Asgardians or Vanir she leaves in her wake.

The PCs will have to make tough decisions on nearly ever mission. They’re going to have opposition in their missions in the force of everyday soldiers, enforcers, cybernetic weapons of destruction, or even unwitting bureaucrats, but not everyone that stands against them is some kind of villain. Asgardian soldiers are also just working stiffs trying to feed their families, and many Vanir have donned their uniforms in an effort to do the same. Others might be Asgardian nationalists that get off on the power their rifles and badges provide. Some missions might help the cause but harm the common folk, or just the opposite. The lure of Hel’s help will be very enticing, but it just might come at the cost of your soul.

Charles Cushman

Doppelgangers, the 1950’s, Shades of grey morality, Blue Collar Workers

This is a wonderfully evocative random roll. This would really be suited well by a GURPS ruleset with a 1950’s style “Red Menace” campaign. (Modern D20 would also be a reasonable option). Players could pull from a modified modern setting using 1950’s appropriate skills, and some elements of the GURPS magic setting to play out the shape shifting mechanic.

The players would take the role of shape shifters from Eastern European legend sent by the Soviets to infiltrate the blue-collar workforce and spread Communism under the watchful eyes of the American government. This would be as a high-stakes social deception game where the players have to convince, bully, blackmail or bribe the NPC laborers to organize unions and promote the Soviet agenda. The twist is that the players can kill/capture key NPC’s and take their forms to conceal their actions or help influence the decision to unionize.

The players will have to use subtly and guile to keep from garnering attention from the wealthy industrialists, the press and federal investigators to accomplish their goals of spreading the red menace to America’s shores.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: BJ Hensley

I am the founder of Playground Adventures and all-around bardic freelancer for games of all shapes and sizes. Over several decades of playing, running, and creating games, I’ve worked as an author, editor, artist, creative director, marketing strategist, and more for a plethora of companies such as Gallant Knight Games, PEG, Kobold Press, Paizo, Rite Publishing, Rogue Genius Games, and Wizards of the Coast. I believe that RPGs bring us together, help polish our social skills, and can even be tools for education and mental health. I am the proud leader (parent) of a six-person adventuring party and their two furry companions.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Danielle Reynolds aka the TokenGaymer

I dove into tabletop game design about 3 years ago after being introduced to Settlers of Catan by Ryan Costello. Since then, I have signed my first game Inn Keeper, illustrated an upcoming game and done layout for a few third party Pathfinder RPG products. I am the host of the Chicago Tabletop Game Design Group, an admin on Board Game Broads, on the Board for the Unpub Convention and started the Know Direction’s Game Design Unboxed: Inspiration to Publication podcast. I am a proud LGBT member who enjoys game design, travel and quality time with friends and family.

Fan: Jimmy Dick aka Xathos of Varisia

I began playing D&D in 1979 when a friend held ran B2 Keep on the Borderlands for his 16th birthday party sleepover. That venture into the Caves of Chaos led me to AD&D and several other RPGs and even MMORPGs before discovering Pathfinder Society in 2016. Here I am four years later as the Venture-Lieutenant for three lodges, and a 5-Star PFS1 and 4-Glyph PFS2 GM. In the mundane world I am an adjunct professor for two colleges where I teach history courses.

Today’s Question

“It was just a routine trip in your car. You think you remember that you were going to some kind of store, but your head is a little fuzzy after the impact. All you can remember for sure is that you were going through a tunnel when the lights flickered before everything went black. Next thing you knew, you and your car were falling out of the sky and into a…medieval(?) village. The villagers are now too afraid to approach you and your wholly-totaled vehicle, but you do hear them call out for someone to fetch ‘Lyster?’ Apparently they think he’s some sort of wizard. Oh! Now you remember where you were going. It was to get lunch. You skipped breakfast and your stomach isn’t happy.”

That’s right! You, the possessions which are currently in your car in real life, and the completely busted wreckage that used to be your vehicle were transported to an unknown fantasy world. What are you going to do?

Answers

BJ: I stumble from the wreckage and glance around at the dated buildings and frightened people, my mind reeling, attempting to make sense of everything I see. I file away worry over the whereabouts of my loved ones and note the ruins of my prized truck, processing details like the sight of my favorite umbrella lying mangled on the ground and the hundreds of apples littering the area from the several bushels I’d just acquired for canning applesauce. Applesauce… I skipped breakfast. I’m hungry. Lunch! I was on my way to lunch! Did I make it there? Am I drunk? Did someone spike my drink after I arrived? Where am I?! I lift my wrist to ask Siri the same question. Nothing happens. I glance down. No signal. In what feels like an eternity but is a few minutes at best, I partially process all of these things and more, pushing most aside for later contemplation.

A growing seed of fear unfurls in the pit of my stomach as I yet again glance at the onlookers, none of whom are coming forward to help. Is this one of those reenactment villages? No, that can’t be right; modern-day people of any kind would be rushing to my aid or calling 911, not standing in fear of a car wreck. These people look afraid; their body language almost shocked at the sights before them. What is going on here?! Again, I wonder where I am.

As the locals call for a village wizard, mumbling about monsters and curses, demons and magic, it dawns on me how similar this is to the many realms of fantasy I’ve encountered or created in stories and legends over the course of my life. Everything begins to feel like the beginning of a nasty adventure. This can’t be real. Yet, to some degree, it is what all of us who create in these worlds wish for, a chance to play in the very realms we help build. Is it a delusion? Insanity? Reality? A head injury? In an instant, I decide it doesn’t matter what it is; it only matters what I do with it. If this truly is the fantasy world it appears to be, my only option is to convince these people that I have heroically slain this “monster,” and it can no longer cause them harm. Ignoring the growing crowd, I gather my wits about me the best I can and begin to sift through the wreckage. A flash of red catches my eye; relieved, I grab a bright red handbag, which holds the many “wonderous” items that I can hopefully use to fund my adventures in this strange new place.  Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I reach down and pick up one of the many apples to help satiate my hunger. Taking a healthy bite, I step forward and grin at the crowd around me.

“Have I got a tale for you!”

Danielle: Why does this keep happening to me? One moment I’m cruising down the highway and the next I decide to hold my breath and make a wish in a tunnel and poof! I appear in this village with some crazy lady yelling for some guy named Lyster. I love making wishes but I can’t remember what I wished for that could have landed me here. I guess this time I wasn’t thinking about winning the lottery because I’d have a pile of money or something. Oh god, how am I going to afford a new car? My poor Toyota Corolla did not deserve this. I guess this is why every genie wish goes awry.

“Hi, I’m Lyster.” Stated a man that appeared next to me in my front seat. Out of instinct I grabbed the mace on my key chain and sprayed directly into Lysters eyes as he screamed in pain from the pepper spray. Did I feel bad? No. A random man in what appeared to be a purple snuggy or bathrobe came way too close to me. It’s called self-defense. But, the villagers didn’t seem to feel the same way. They began to rock back and forth what was left of my car out of anger for hurting this Lyster character. He continued to cry and scream as I finished off what was left in my can of pepper spray. I had already tried to open the door before the angry villagers took hold of the car so I knew the door wasn’t budging thanks to the damage. But I had an idea. I punched the horn and out of shock the villagers disbanded as I rolled down the car window. Thank goodness this car was built in the early 90’s so I could manually roll the windows. I quickly grabbed my gym bag and flopped out the window of my car accidentally kicking Lyster in the face as I struggled to get out.

Okay, looking back I may have been a tad cruel to Lyster. But the angry mob of villagers following me as I ran helped keep my mind off of it. So here I am, in some random village with my lacrosse bag and stick as the only weapons to defend me against an angry mob of what I would describe as unattractive hairy cherubs.

So what do I do? I run until I find another tunnel and hope to god that holding my breath and making a wish gets me back to where I started aka heading to lunch. Man am I hungry. After all this running I could eat a horse.  Now to find a tunnel….

Poof! Smack! I ran into Lyster. This poor guy can’t seem to take a hint that he should stop following me. The weight of me and my bag crushed the quote and quote wizard. I struggled to get to my feet but a hand caught me by the ankle. Wrong move buddy. I kicked and once again the poor wizard was in pain.

I decided to leave the bag and just carry my lacrosse stick since it was significantly lighter. At this point I was nearing the edge of the village with no tunnel in sight. Only a dirt path and a lot of trees. Once again another poof and thud happened. This time I decided to ask, “Lyster, what is your problem? Why are all of you chasing me?”

Lyster replied, “I am here to help you. I saw you fall from the sky in that metal beast.”

“Help me?” I replied thinking back on how much I’d injured this poor man.

“Yes, I didn’t mean to startle you. I have seen this happen before. I wished to offer my assistance in getting you back home.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry about the pepper spray and kicks to the face,” I apologized.

Smack!

So now, here I am. Currently rotating on a pike being cooked for these villager’s lunches. Is it sad that I’m so hungry the smell of me cooking is actually making my mouth water? Well this has officially been the worst day of my life. Stupid Lyster. If I could just kick him one more time before they all ate me that would be great.

“Thanks Lyster,” shouted a villager as they licked their lips and fingers from the feast that was Danielle. “Next time can we not get fast food? I’m getting too old to run after these people you make land here.”

Xathos: Somehow, I doubt my insurance company is going to cover this loss. I would start to look for something familiar like powerlines, mailboxes, or something from my modern world which might account for the odd-looking setting I find myself. If my car still has any electrical power, I will check the radio and Sirius XM to see if anything is coming in. If I hear no stations or any sound (wouldn’t it be odd if dragons used radio to communicate?) I might start to freak out. I would then check my cell phone to see if I could contact anyone or if there was any Wi-Fi (again, dragons using the Internet!). I would then listen to these villagers to see if I understand anything they are saying. It would be helpful if I could communicate with them.

If I have not seen anything from the modern world, I would start to look for things I know a village would have, specifically a church, temple, or mosque. Those would be the central buildings in a medieval village. If I did see one that would at least let me know I was either in my world in a different time or a similar world. I do not have much in my car other than a nice blanket, pair of gloves, some emergency peanuts, and some CDs. Who is this Lyster person and why do I think he is a wizard? That would probably remind me of novels I have read where someone was suddenly transported to a different world like in The Doomfarers of Coramonde or Guardians of Flame, or maybe even to Barsoom!

If I was sent somewhere else, who sent me and why did they send me? Is there a note? I would start looking through the car and maybe underneath it too. Are there a pair of feet sticking out from under it? I would also keep an eye on these villagers, so they do not take it into their minds that I am a demon or devil that just appeared out of nowhere to attack them. For that matter, do they have any weapons? How are they dressed? Now I would start getting curious as to who they were and start trying to identify them.

Once Lyster appears, I would try to communicate with him to let him and the others know I am not a threat to them and am totally lost, having no idea why I am there. I do not have any modern weapons, but I do know how to use a bow and arrow, how to start a fire from scratch, and how to survive in my own world’s wilderness. I would have no clue what was in this wilderness. What I do need is information, but first, I need something to eat! After that I can begin to figure out where and when I am. Then I would try to find out where people with knowledge are in this world. Someone has records and books.

I need to find them so I can figure out a clue as to where I am and maybe why I am there. I also might be able to trade some of my knowledge of rudimentary science like steam power, gunpowder, and history for things in this world. You never know. Maybe my knowledge of moveable type might start an information revolution. For that matter, so might my knowledge of political science. Maybe I will take a page from Mark Twain’s Connecticut Yankee! Does magic work in this world? If so, how does it work? I need to find out if I can work magic in this world. It could be Xathos time!

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s would your fantasy life look like? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Charlotte Irrgang, aka Irrgardless / Stryck

I’m a graphic designer who’s been roleplaying since the 90s in a huge variety of systems, from crunchy to rules-lite. My husband, Robb, and I have combined our graphic design, marketing, and RPG knowledge to form Irrgardless – a boutique RPG design studio. Our latest project is working with Beadle & Grimm’s on their Complete Character Chronicles, now on Kickstarter!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beadleandgrimms/beadle-and-grimms-complete-character-chronicles

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Jessica Redekop

I’m a freelance writer and illustrator for RPGs, including work for Paizo Publishing, Storm Bunny Studios, and Lost Spheres Publishing. I’ve been playing ttRPGs for about 20 years, starting with D&D 2nd edition and some Palladium games in high school, and in the last couple years I’ve also started LARPing. I have a particular love for the Planescape setting, and when the world is normal, I run a bunch of single-session Planescape adventures I’ve written at PaizoCon.

You can find me playing Xiadani the aasimar druid on Valiant, a Pathfinder 2 actual play podcast here on the Know Direction network.

Fan: Shane Ferguson, @ragnarocknrolla on twitter

I am a Know Direction fan of the past few years with over a decade of RPG experience as both a player and GM. A lot of my time has been spent playing Pathfinder First Edition, but I also have experience with dozen’s of other systems including Forged in the Dark games, Legend of the Five Rings, World of Darkness and more than a few D20 based systems. I spend a lot of time on the road for work and when I’m home I spend my time helping my girlfriend with her numerous snakes, lizards, chickens, dogs and the cat.

Today’s Question

“It’s done. You ran the last game for your friends, and despite their best efforts, it was incredible! You were looking forward to taking a break from GMing, but the group voted and you’re 100% going to have to work your magic again. Likely, you groan, because it’s an established and obvious fact that they are a hard group to satisfy. Each player has a very different personality with very different interests. And now, you have 4 players’ eyes on you looking for a story that appeals to each of their interests…again. Because it worked so well last time, you ask them each to tell you what they would like to see in the next setting and in the next story.”

Homebrew a unique setting based off the interests of each player. Roll a d6 for each friend and consult the table to determine what each would like to see in the next game. Tell us what your rolled and give us the elevator pitch for your campaign based on their input.

Answers

Charlotte:

Homebrew setting (Sea Monsters, Steampunk/Dieselpunk, PCs in a music band, cultists)

Game pitch:

Okay folks, here’s the pitch: The five of you are in a traveling death-metal band – you can each choose a role like Lead Singer, Guitarist, Drummer, Bassist, Backup Dancer, Merch Purveyor, Groupie or Manager.

Now, your manager has just booked a gig on a tropical island well known for both its parties and its treasure!

The steam-powered hulk called “Man-o-Peace” is ready and willing to take you across the sea. The seas surrounding this island are filled with sea monsters and possibly even a Kraken or two, but that’s not what worries you. What worries you is that your rivals, the Cult of Doom, will get there first and steal the show! Time to brave the waves and battle that band!

Setting:

The world is similar to a traditional fantasy world, but extremely high volcanic activity has encouraged steam and geothermal technologies to advance alongside of magic. Oceans comprise over 85% of the planet, with most landmasses being grouped in archipelagos along the edges of tectonic plates, where the volcanoes have created islands both large and small.

There are traditional communities that disavow both magic and technology, as well as those that specialize in one or the other. Most places have at least some mix of both. Travel between islands is accomplished either via boat or airship, and travel and trade between islands within an archipelago is common. There tends to be suspicion when meeting people from outside the island chain where one grew up, however.

The shallower waters surrounding the islands are guarded by hive-minds of sentient corals, and are home to communities of aquatic Kobolds, Merfolk, and Octopoids. Geothermal technology using heat and mineral-rich water piped from underwater vents allows these communities to power glittering cities surrounded by cultivated fields.

The deep seas beyond are home to more fearsome creatures. Giant eel-like creatures called Slime-Dragons curve sinuously through the depths. Their long fangs are needle-thin, and they are known to spit out inky clouds that confuse their prey, followed by electric (or less commonly, fire or ice) bolts to finish them off. Their scaleless hides are protected by a thick coat of slime, which makes them extremely difficult to harm. There are tribes of traveling kobold pirates that ride inside of whales. The symbiotic relationship between the two lasts until the whale is neglected and no longer kept fed by its inhabitants, but either way it goes in the whale’s favor.

Jessica: Finding out what your players want before you start planning a game is always a great first step. Here, my friends want a game featuring “Undead” for Cathy, “Western” for Jenna, “Science!” for Kristyne, and “Cultists” for Michelle. These themes combine pretty easily with each other. Undead Science! is a great way to describe the classic horror novel Frankenstein, Undead Cultists has tons of possible permutations steeped in classic horror tropes depending on whether the cultists are undead themselves or the servants of one, and Western Science! captures the setting of the 1999 Will Smith movie Wild Wild West (and the associated source material I’m too young for) perfectly.

We could absolutely run this in Pathfinder (we could even keep playing in Golarion, like Valiant), but there’s tons of other systems that would work great for this, too. Deadlands is already mixing the western and horror genres, Urban Shadows was used to great effect for a western game in the Adventure Zone’s Dust, and for a shorter game rather than a full campaign Dread builds tension and atmosphere beautifully. Owen KC Stephens’ blog also has tons of resources for hacking Starfinder into a Really Wild West game, which would help build on Kristyne’s request for Science!.

No matter what game system we decide to use, we’re going to go ahead and set our game in an alternate reality version of the American frontier. Our cultists will be occultists and esoterics, belonging to an anachronistic stand-in for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and other similar groups, and becoming undead (and therefore immortal!) will be their end goal. These are our bad guys. The cult can use magic, weird science, or a combination of the two to achieve their immortal ends. My players didn’t specify a game without magic, so I’d ask them before removing magic or replacing it with weird science entirely.

If Cathy and Michelle requested undead and cultists because they wanted to fight those enemies, perfect! If they wanted to play those characters, there’s great story potential for former cultists who leave the order. They can be failed experiments who became undead but lost something the cultists aren’t willing to give up in the process, or maybe the process was completely successful and now they’ve on the run to protect the secrets of immortality.

Kristyne’s request for Science! is going to make our setting pretty steampunk, and she probably asked for it so she can play some kind of inventor character, so we’ll need to keep that in mind when we make a final decisions on the game system. This may put the players in a science versus magic dynamic in their fight against our cultists. We’ll need some minor historical revisions to make the steampunk happen, but we can probably handwave most of that. We can even insert an anachronistic Ada Byron as a mentor for any scientist/inventor characters in the party. Of course, we’re going to need a steampunk crab mech somewhere in the game, too, naturally.

Shane: “Long, long ago, before Brightstone and the eldest of the High Kings, before even the Philosophers brought the Kin together and taught us the Path of the Green, men roamed the earth. They built great machines capable of awesome destruction and magnificent creation. They had spires that touched the skies and even flew above the stars. But they were foolish, and called little for the Green, and all feared they’d destroy the world. In the end though they only destroyed themselves and forged the path for us and the other Kin to heal the Earth’s wounds and see the world at peace.”

After rolling “Animals, but they’re all as smart as regular people”, “High Fantasy”, and “Science!” I immediately knew I wanted a post-post-apocalyptic world where animals had become uplifted and taken humanity’s place as the stewards of the Earth. “High Fantasy” and “Science!” especially brought to mind classic magic versus technology tales such as Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards. The idea of talking badgers, rabbits and dogs embarking out into a wild world that once used to be our own had more than a little appeal on its own, but I was missing the final piece. “Philosophers”. This led me to imagining the animals, whom I started calling the Kin, lived in a Plato’s Republic inspired utopia which was ruled by a Philosopher class who spend their time teaching the others to respect and cherish nature.

Once I had my general idea, I needed a system. I briefly considered Pugmire, the Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition inspired game about adventuring dogs in a fantasy world, but being that it was a system I am personally not too versed in I decided against it. Instead I would fall back to the old standby of Pathfinder first edition and use the Advanced Race Guide as a basis for home brewing new animal races so that I could have lizards alongside cats alongside goats etc. While this would take a little extra time, ultimately I feel giving the players more options alongside a rules system I know pretty intimately would be worth it.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your What does your campaign look like? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Lou Agresta

A novelist and game designer, I started playing with the Holmes Basic set in 1978, wrote professionally for the first time in 2004, and have since developed, edited, and written well over a million words for the adventure game industry, including the ENnie winning Razor Coast line. Most recently I’m the co-creator of Grimmerspace, the largest successful Kickstarter for Starfinder as well as its first sci-fi horror campaign setting.

Outside of gaming I’m a dad, a martial arts enthusiast, and a fan of Nordic dotwork tattooing. I live in the Hudson Valley with two cats, my girlfriend, and (part-time) two children—not necessarily in that order.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Ron Lundeen

I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs for going on…sheesh…four decades. I pivoted from my career as a transactional attorney to become a developer on the Pathfinder Adventure Path line at Paizo going on…sheesh…three years ago. You can catch me playing Skootch in the Intrepid Heroes podcast and prattling on with my friend John on Digital Divination. My RPG advice blog is on my website at RunAmokGames.com, and it’s usually worth reading.
Fan: Tom Parry (medtec28)

Like many gamers of my generation, I started 30-something years ago with AD&D Redbox as my gateway drug, moving onto harder stuff like Shadowrun and WoD in my college years.  I’m currently playing PF and Shadowrun, but not nearly as often as I would like.  The demands of the real world being what they are.

In my day job, I’m a Frontline Emergency Physician in NYC.  When I’m not working clinically, I’m also a Medical Simulation educator, which means I run roleplay scenarios for interdisciplinary teams of medical professionals.  In this way, I can say RPGs are both my hobby and my day job.

Today’s Question

“The year is 2020. A strange new virus, COZED-18, has the world in its clutches as some decry the end of days. It started simple enough—just a cough, maybe some fatigue. Next, the infected were bed-ridden and struggling to breath. As people began to perish, the virus mutated and was no longer transmissible via airborne particles. Then, it began. What started out as a few isolated incidents of deceased victims animating and behaving in a feral state soon became the second wave of the pandemic, and it was the first wave of the zombie pandemic. These no-longer-fully-dead ferals proved to be the most virulent carriers of COZID; their bites were an (un)death sentence. They were called Zeds. Today, the Zed problem has reached critical mass. What yesterday was merely a handful of Zeds have spread across the country has turned into full-blown Armageddon. The news is telling people to stay home and stay safe. Your neighbors are out in the street with some friends getting their cardio in…apparently it’s leg day too. Now, there are a handful of people in your yard very much so not complying with social distancing. They look normal enough…you think…   That’s probably just ketchup on his shirt. Afterall, the president said Zeds are just a hoax.”

That’s right; it’s time. Zombies! What are you gonna do?

Answers

Lou: Obviously, as a gamer with a 10-year-old who is obsessed with zombies, we’ve long had this strategized. And rehearsed. The first thing we do is hit the internal silent alarm we’ve rigged in the apartment. Lights flash but nothing to attract the zeds. Next everyone kits up. We’re falling back to one of our safe houses, spaced throughout the city. In fact, this is one of our safe houses, and we were here — my son Malcolm, myself, my daughter Kaylie, and… er… redshirts 1 to 3? — to stock it, take a scout for Zeds, and return to base. Guess we found the zeds.

So, hit the silent alarm. It also triggers the solenoids we stol— er… liberated from the light manufacturing center and slams dead bolts home on every fire door below us. Silent and efficient, fully locked and loaded, we head for the roof. Kaylie, 13, has her repeating crossbow. Malcolm, always a fan of the Walking Dead, made a Lucille. He prefers a handgun and a bandolier of clips for his backup. I’m going katana and tachi.

None of us are stupid, though. Malcolm designed zombie protective gear from football equipment, abandoned riot helmets, hockey pads, and FMA rigs. We’re all wearing it, except the redshirts of course. They’ve always felt a t-shirt and maybe a light jean jacket was the fashionable way to galavant through the end of the world. Their shirts say so, reading like a movie log line “Pandemic take 2: CO ZID First Plague was Not Enough”

Outside cameras show the Zeds haven’t breached the building, but their numbers on the lawn are growing. Huh, there’s Mrs. G, the neighborhood busybody who always complained about her swollen ankles to con the local kids out of $5 and get her driveway shoveled or her leaves bagged for free. She’s wearing that generic geriatric outfit: flowered smock with brown stockings and shifting from ankle to ankle. Only,  bloody hand smears stain the flowers like someone died trying to pick them, and she doesn’t have ankles any more. COZID popped them like overripe tomatoes. Now it’s just shreds of skin flapping like burst balloon vinyl over bare bones, brown stockings bunched above her feat, gummed and tacky with days old blood. Guess she won’t be complaining any time soon.

“Hey Mal,” I say, nodding to the window. “You should ask Mrs. G for the five bucks she owes you.”

Mal looks out with pale blue eyes too old for his tiny body and shakes his head of blond surfer hair, “F— that old bag.”

It’s the apocalypse, it’ll do that to a young kid. He’s saved my life often enough, no way I’m going to correct his language, dad or not.

We all make it to the roof without trouble.

We’re on the roof because, like all our safe houses, we’ve installed zip lines connecting the next few buildings. One of the redshirts already has the first pulley out of its locker and onto the wire. She’s up on the edge ready to zip over the road down below, now packed shoulder to shoulder with Zeds, to the next roof.

We’ll be out of here in no time and report back to HQ, and the moment I think that is when OF COURSE it all goes to shit.

The hand is dirty. Nails falling out, caked and stained with old viscera, covered in scratches and bits of fur stuck to the maroon gore. Like it recently gutted a fluffy cat. It’s also wrapped around the ankle of the redshirt on the edge of the roof. Sally. Her name is Sally. She misses salad more than anything but her dog. She tells us that every meal.

Sally squeaks, and then she’s gone. Hurled from the roof by a new species of Zed. Climbers. The virus mutated again, and we’re the first to find out. Go us.

Sally’s scream vanishes like the quick spin of a volume knob. A pause when she hits, and then what sounds like the roar over a Shea Stadium homerun rises from the street below. Some wet crunching noises, then nothing.

The edge of the roof behind my remaining team fills with dirty hands. Some lack fingers, others nails. There’s nothing but hands no matter where I turn. You can hear them scrabbling and moaning just out of sight.

Kaylie racks her bow with an authoritative crack. Malcolm unlimbers Not-Lucille. The remaining redshirts fumble for their guns.

I spit and draw my blades. “Well kids, looks like we’re right fucked this time.”

Kaylie’s eyes widen. “Daddy, language!” and then she puts a bolt dead center in forehead of the first climber to pull itself onto the roof. Bullseye.

The climber loses its grip, circles its arms like a cartoon, and topples from sight. Another homerun cry rises to the roof, and then all of them are over the edge and at us. I can’t listen to anything, any more. Just swing my blades and fight…

Ron: Ah, zombies! My procrastination has paid off at last! A friend recommended one of those survivalist books about installing a generator and going off the grid and building perimeter security and having different kinds of guns for different purposes. And after not even a year of him insisting that I should read it, I finally checked it out from the library. And I meant to read it, but I never did, and last week I got an email from the library saying it’s overdue but I never got around to returning it. Procrastination saves the day, AGAIN! So I race up to my bedroom, because I think it’s pretty likely that the survivalist book I need is in the pile of books by my side of the bed. And there it is, right underneath…oh, John Scott Tynes’s Puppetland RPG! I was really excited to track down a copy of this just recently, and I only read about half of it before putting it down the other night. I was reading…about what? Oh, shadow puppets! I think they’re probably mechanically better than the other puppet “classes,” and I was going to compare their default abilities against the abilities of the setting’s key antagonists, and while I’m thinking about it is probably the best time to finish that comparison.

Oh, whoops, sounds like my kids have let the COZED zombies in the house; I hear them all roaring and devouring things downstairs. My kids, I mean. No telling where the zombies are, unless…yep, I never got around to replacing those creaky treads on the stairs and now the zombies are coming up them. How do I know it’s zombies and not the kids? Because nobody is shouting, “Daaaaaad, she hiiiiiiiit me!” while stomping up the stairs. So it must be the zombies. Where’s that survivalist book? Oh, it’s right under the When Axioms Collide adventure for the Torg Eternity RPG. Hey, I need to finish reading that adventure before I run the next part on Tuesday! I’m not sure how the wyvern attack in the first part plays out in the…wait, wait. Survivalist book. Got it.

Some quick flipping through the survivalist book and, whoo boy, there’s a lot here about different types of grains and small engine maintenance. Not so much about zombies. I hear some shuffling outside my bedroom door now, which would definitely be accompanied by demands of, “I need the password for my Kiiiiiindle!” if it were my kids. So, it’s zombies. Is there anything in this book about….oh! Here’s a section on panic rooms! Now my procrastination pays off again! My oldest daughter’s bedroom is little more than a big closet, because there’s not a window in it. Thus not technically a bedroom. There’s a window just right outside her bedroom door, and I’d been planning to knock out the wall with her door and build a new wall and door about five feet further out, giving her a window in her room. But I haven’t done much more than stack up some lumber in the hall. So her bedroom is still fully enclosed. Oh, procrastination, where would I be without you? I throw open the door, shove the group of zombies back across the hall into my daughter’s room, slam the door, and hammer the lumber across the doorframe to keep them in. Problem solved! The zombies are contained for now. I’ll need something more permanent there eventually, but I need to prep that adventure for Tuesday….

Tom:

Below is the transcript of a debriefing occurring during the UN COZED response.

::Begin Playback::

These recordings will be added to the official After-Action Report for the COZED incident.  All records are subject to the COZED Amnesty Act.  Doctor, will you please describe your actions in the early stages prior to the fall?

“We had been following the European data, and thus we managed to stay ahead of this thing ever so slightly.  I survived the initial airborne stage due to my fanatical devotion to my PPE (Recorder’s note: Personal Protective Equipment).  The biters were more dangerous, as they came in as ‘intoxicated patients.’ We lost many providers to ‘biters’. I continued going to work right up until society fell.”

When did you first realize this was no longer “business as usual?”

“I had slept in on a Thursday morning and woke to Pinecone, my puppy, barking at ‘people’ in the yard.  I don’t know how, but he only barks and growls at the infected.  We were nearly surrounded.  I was able to distract them by playing some loud music on one side of the house, and we escaped through my attached garage on the opposite side.”

After the fall, would you please describe your initial actions?

“My first response was to gather supplies.  I pulled my hunting and survival gear out of storage.  It only took a few days to round my archery skills back into form.  After the initial supply line disruptions were resolved, I had collected enough masks and filters for myself and my wife, just had to bring them home from work.  We picked up some motorcycle leathers.  It makes for decent protection against bites.  I would have preferred bunker gear, but I wasn’t ready to steal anything yet. The first casualty of this crisis was not going to be my humanity.  Then I laid into some medical supplies.”

Where did these supplies come from?

“I will decline to answer except to say they were all legally obtained. Even with the Amnesty Act in place, I am not going to be responsible for that information seeing the light of day.”

Fair enough, where did you meet the other survivors you were found with?

“They were random associators mostly. My wife and puppy were with me from the outset, and both demonstrated their value to the band repeatedly.  Myself, I was strangely prepared for the ZAW (Recorders Note: Zombie Apocalypse World).  I had been taught to hunt, fish, and camp by my father, plus I had legit medical training in both a hospital-based and prehospital environment.  Unfortunately, I had no skill in the most necessary survival skill.  My watercraft experience was only in green-water circumstances.  Fortunately, I was able to add my skills to that of a seasoned blue-water sailor.  Living near the shore was definitely an advantage here. That and I was highly motivated to learn.”

What made you think sailing was so indispensable?

“Quite simply, Zeds cannot swim.  They cannot manage the level of coordination that is required to stay afloat.  We could lay in supplies on a sailing vessel, combine that with a solar still and we could wait things out, only going ashore when we absolutely needed to.  Clearly it worked…”

So, your entire plan was based on avoiding contact?

“It was.  In the Zombie Apocalypse genre, the idea of man-versus-zombie conflict, when ascribed to the 6 classic narrative conflicts, is Man vs.. Environment as opposed to Man vs Man. There were way too many of them to fight.  We couldn’t make them go way.  Just needed to wait things out to find ‘The New Normal’.”

::End Playback::

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your plan to survive the zombie apocalypse? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Michael Sayre aka Ssalarn

I’m the former Pathfinder Society Developer and a current designer at Paizo, as well as a prolific third-party freelancer for both editions of Pathfinder and other gaming systems. I’ve been playing ttRPGs for about 17 years now and have accrued a collection of games that covers every edition of D&D and countless board games. As an Alaskan Native, I’m also a big junkie for Native American lore and spend a lot of time reading and looking for new books and stories about America’s Indigenous people.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Jefferson Jay Thacker (aka Perram)

Role Playing Games have been a part of my life for as long as I knew how to pretend a stick was a sword and that cardboard boxes could make magic shields with enough crayon, duct tape, and scissors. More formally I started playing games with dice and rules (and less stuffed animal dragons) when I was 12 and have continued to do so for the last 24 years with reckless enthusiasm. Now-a-days I’m one of the Directors of the Know Direction Network, where we’ve spent 14 years providing podcasts, blogs, and news coverage for Pathfinder, Starfinder, and geeky topics that we love.

You can find me hosting the Know Direction Podcast, Geek Together Podcast, as well as playing in our Adventurous and Stellar actual play shows. I feel incredibly lucky to get to have such a rich gaming life with so many awesome people.

Outside the industry I have a passion for all things computers and programming, work as a professional Web developer and marketer, photographer, and videographer. I collect new skills about as often as an 18 INT Rogue does, but I assure you I have a DEX score of 6.

Fan: Aamir Hussain (Azih)

Hey all, I’m a programmer by trade from the Greater Toronto Area. I used to read and play  a lot of video and computer games but since becoming a father the time to commit to these  hobbies is hard to come by. I stumbled onto a play by post game of Pathfinder around 2014 and the asynchronous nature of the games, as well as having read D&D source and setting books just for fun when I was younger, was incredibly compelling and I’ve been down the rabbit hole of play by post Pathfinder ever since.

Since finding a good Play by Post is sadly a numbers game, I’ve joined dozens upon dozens of games on the paizo forums. So I’ve played and GMed a lot of Pathfinder in the last six or so years but I don’t actually own any dice. I’ve never even rolled an actual physical d20!

Today’s Question

“This is Iris Hawthorne and you’re watching ‘Up to Date.’ Tonight: are hamsters a lovable and easy to manage pet or are they whispering Satanic secrets to your children at night, Peru announces its intent to separate from South America, and are beans the real reason for the season—one local farmer suggests just that. But first, some are calling it a sign of the end-times. A third creature long thought to be just a myth has appeared in the skies above Iceland. This footage was captured by a team of geological researchers, and it’s a little blurry but as you can see here, it appears to be some kind of massive red dragon. The scientists say that the footage was captured near the Katla volcano. Up to Date’s own Gary White is in Reykjavík for more. Gary?

Hi Iris. The weather may be cold but the tension in the air is red hot. People here are worried. People are scared. Iceland has very few military assets so folks around here are preparing to evacuate. Due to the current state of international politics, military aid that has been promised has been delayed by three days. For now, it seems that Iceland’s only hope is the commander responsible for protecting Milwaukee and the Gulf of Finland. A video conference has been sche…    …quick quick point the camera there!’ Gary? ‘Is that…    …RUN!! YOU KEEP THAT ******* THING ON!!!!     Folks…I can’t believe my eyes!     KEEP RUNNING YOU IDIOT!!’ Gary! You need to get to safety! ‘I SAID POINT THAT THING…OH….OH GOD….noooOOO’

Gary?

GARY!?

An Ancient Red Dragon is burninating the countryside in Iceland. The people don’t have time to wait for international aid. You were sent details of Iceland’s few military and monetary assets in preparation for the video conference, but President Jóhannesson is calling you right now. How do you plan to use everything that Iceland can muster to deal with this threat? Most international military aid will arrive in three days, except one. The elite monster slayers of Milwaukee are on call and can be there tomorrow. Save as many people as you can using the forces at your disposal.

Answers

Michael: I should have requested a map for this one since my knowledge of geography is making my logistical scope hard to picture, but….

Given that I’ve got a population of 500,000 to evacuate, 1,800 police officers to command, and a SWAT team of 60 officers, I think we can do something about this volcanic dragon. First, we don’t know what the dragon’s travel speed or motivations are, which makes it impossible to plan around. That’s where our SWAT team is going to come in. We’ll break them up into 4 units of 15 split between three vehicles apiece and their job is going to be helping us predict the dragon’s movements by pissing it off with whatever firepower we can bring to bear.

The point team’s job is going to be shooting the dragon in the face and leading it away from civilization to the greatest extent possible, with support from the remaining teams. The remaining teams will be a spotter team that stays in position to cover the point team as needed while the other two teams are our scout and scavenger units; scouts stay ahead of the group to watch for and clear road blocks that could slow the point team down enough for the dragon to catch them, while the scavenger team’s responsibility is to cover resupply of dwindling resources, most notably fuel. When the point team starts running low on ammunition or fuel, they’ll signal the other teams so that the spotter can take over point and the scavenger team can resupply the former point team. Once they’re resupplied, the former point team becomes the new spotter team and the scavenger team resumes their task. We want to keep these rotations tight and clean so that there’s no confusion about what any team’s responsibilities are and so that we keep the experts focused on the tasks they’re best suited for and most experienced at.

Meanwhile, our main police force will be responsible for evacuating the city. I’ll send 300 of our officers down to the port to secure ships and transportation while coordinating the civilian exodus that is undoubtedly happening; their job will be to ensure that every ship that leaves port does so in an orderly fashion while carrying as many civilians as are reasonable. As they coordinate the exodus, we’ll put another 200 police on the task of gathering up members of the local fire departments together with as much equipment as they can relocate to an elevated platform near the docks. If the dragon shows up it means the SWAT team’s weapons weren’t effective enough to execute their goal, so we’ll see what a high pressure wall of water can do; if nothing else, it may produce enough steam when it comes in contact with the dragon that the resultant drop in visibility will make it harder for the dragon to target any individual group of civilians. The remaining officers, save 100 we’re holding back for another task, will be distributed throughout the city to direct civilians to the evacuation point at the docks, keep the roads clear on the northern side of the city to allow as many people as possible to escape into the less densely populated countryside, and assist in transporting the elderly and infirm who won’t be able to transport themselves. We’ll put emphasis on clearing the hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons, as those institutions will have the largest concentrations of potential victims whose ability to see to their own well-being is compromised.

That final 100 officers I mentioned before have a more daunting task: find every willing civilian pilot and every serviceable aircraft and prepare them as the last line of the defense. We can assume the dragon’s tactical superiority in the air, so we don’t plan on winning this one; pilots who go up need to be prepared for the idea that they won’t be coming back, as their planes can be used to harry the dragon, distract it from slower moving or landbound targets, and ultimately, inflict as much damage as possible by ensuring that if they fall out of the sky, they hit a dragon on the way down.

Perram: The beast is massive, powerful. It can fly, rend tanks in half, melt down pure steel with its breath. But that isn’t even the worst of it. The reasons our small forces will never stand a chance against it is simple: It knows magic. It is a master of magic with the arcane secretes we could never fathom built into its blood! It is a genius beyond the fathom of nearly all of us on earth. As much respect as I have for the brave troops willing to fight and die for the cause: this isn’t a problem we’re going to be able to solve through conventional tactics.

Thankfully we don’t have to defeat this dragon. The international militaries of the world will eventually bring it down. But what we need is TIME.

The first order of duty is reducing the damage. Those 1,800 police officers can best spend their time on evacuation efforts. The giant demon lizard in the sky should be enough motivation for even the most stubborn and foolhardy to follow evacuation instructions. The dragon may be horrible, but it is at least small and flying at a reasonable speed. Helicopters, small jets, and all manner of other modern flight will be faster, and they just need to keep well out of the way of its fire and magical spells.

The next part is going to be the hardest part. Distracting the dragon. We need as much time as we possibly can get. And the only way we’re going bot be able to do that is to keep it distracted and angry. We need to keep it emotional so that it doesn’t have time to make use of that genius level intellect and prepare itself for the real forces of arms heading towards it from countries that have standing military forces.

The SWAT team is going to be the heavy lifting on this one, but some police volunteers are important. I’m not going to make any qualms about what I’m asking them to do here. This is a suicide mission. Ticking off something literally capable of wishing you out of existence isn’t going to be highly survivable. Recording video messages for the family will be required for everyone involved, but only released after the mission to keep the dragon from potentially getting a heads up. I’m sorry.

The distraction team will fan out, spread out, and use fast transport to keep the dragon moving towards unpopulated areas and engaged as long as possible. We have to expect it knows what small arms fire can do because some valiant citizen or police officer will have fired at it by now. We are not going to make the mistake of trying to bargain with the beast.

Two teams will have other special duties and will be the real plan to deal with the beast. The sniper teams from our SWAT forces will be given the very best armor piercing, destructive, and illegal experimental weaponry we can get access to. The author Jim Butcher let us know the best way to take out a Wizard years ago. We just have to hope that that it works on the giant flying armored kind. A mass of sniper fire from miles away just might take it out before it knows to counter the attack. But I’m not hopeful for success.

The final team will be tasked with keeping eyes on the dragon. Our best scientists will be given every single bit of data we can gather on the beast and it will be funneled as best we can to every nation that we can trust to help the world combat this threat.

Victory for this cannot be measured in the destruction of the dragon. We will have to score our effort on lives saved.

Azih: “Well, it’s been a nice visit but I really think this whole force exchange thing between Iceland and the Great City of Milwaukee is just a darn waste of taxpayer money.” The commander grouses right before he gets a phone call.

He fumbles around and finally presses the big green flashing button on his smartphone grumbling all the while about Chinese made crap, not like the good old days.

“Hello, yes this is he, what is this… an invasion? From the Russkies? No, what? Are you pulling my leg sir? Sounds like some nonsense my grandkids watch about games of snow and thrones or some nonsense? Wait it’s on the news?  Give me a second sir.”

The old man clicks on the television in his hotel room and flips through the channels. Every news story is showing the same footage ending with a freeze frame of some poor sod named Gary running towards a very shaky camera with a large red lizard breathing flame bearing down on him.

Well ain’t that something. He thinks to himself, shaking his head.

“Yes Sir, I see it now. When do you want us to pull out. What…three days?  With all due respect sir that’s not what I’m used to from how we left ‘Nam back in ’75. You want us to what? With all due respect sir, I’m sure all the Icelanders who can afford it already got flight tickets out? The rest? They should pull them out of this fire with their own goshdarn bootstraps is what I say…. You want us to try and save as many as possible? That’s some soft commie nonsense if you don’t mind me saying so Sir. Is that a direct order? Yes Sir.”

The old commander drops his phone with disgust. Well, orders were orders, he would have preferred to hole up his forces somewhere and wait for evac but if he had to,  he had to. At least there were some very fine folks here and it’s not like he was being asked to protect… urban… people or anything.

He strides out of his room and, to the crisp salutes of Milwaukee’s finest starts to bark out orders. “Get me our liaison on this rock. We need a war room and I need a sitrep, stat!”

In the hastily assembled command center he reviews the information he has. “Limited range, easy to track, real destructive power, gosh darn it, we can strike it with pretty much any sort of long-range weaponry, but we won’t have access to any of it for three days? That’s some grade A bullcrap, pardon my French. Now what do we know about…. Dragons? Huh one of our officers claims to know about this? Some sort of… D&D… Game… master?” he sighs. “Well bring her up here.”

A very awkward fifteen-minute conversation later. “Alright according to our field expert Office Ocado here, this monster loves… gold? Gold standard huh? A lizard after my own heart. Well get the President of this icerock on the horn. We’re going to distract this beast by taking all of this country’s gold reserves, loading ‘em up on trucks, and scattering ‘em across remote areas around here, here, here, here, and here.” The commander smacks five pretty randomly chosen points around Iceland. “Wherever the locals say we can get to easy. Then we’re going to lure that overgrown gecko to those spots with fast mobile strike units shooting at the thing and getting it to chase them to the gold drop points. Make sure there’s women on those strike teams. Dragons love taking princess hostages. Yeah I don’t care if that’s sexist, we’re in fairy tale territory now!

“As for evacuation. Huh, well we didn’t a Naval exchange did we? Well get the Coast guard here to commandeer all the boats and then loading up people and taking them on a nice cruise. Don’t think this fire thing is going to like going on water like them Pokeyman things. This place is filled with fishing ports anyhow, we’ll evacuate to those areas, get them on whatever boats are available and wait it out. This thing can only get to so many places and if we get it to chase women and gold around for three days then we’ll have Mission Accomplished! Well you all have your orders… GET TO IT!”

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. How would you deal with an ancient red dragon using the combined might of Iceland and Milwaukee’s finest? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: David Barnhart (Basics4Gamers YouTube Channel)

Hi everyone!  I’ve been an avid tabletop RPG player since I started playing D&D in 1984 (yeah, I’m basically a real-life Stranger Things kid).  In my day job I design online interactive training materials for preschool teachers, and in 2018 I decided to bring my two passions together.  The result is Basics4Gamers, a YouTube series where I teach players the mechanics of games like Pathfinder, Starfinder and D&D Fifth Edition.  Check us out at https://www.youtube.com/c/Basics4Gamers!

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Owen K.C. Stephens
I first got involved in RPGs, and RPG design, when staying with my uncle in the summer of 1982. He had the 1st edition D&D DMG… and nothing else. I made up the rules we were missing so we could play the game. Since then I have come to be a professional RPG designer and developer, working for companies from Wizards of the Coast and Paizo to Steve Jackson Games, and I am currently the Fantasy AGE developer for Green Ronin Publishing.

After 6 moves in 6 years, I’m back in my hometown of Norman, OK, living in a house with two cats that have the rooms neatly divided between them.

Fan: Logan McGuire (he/him) – Zietieflr (zee tee flur)

Logan has been playing Pathfinder for the last five years. After his first campaign as a player fell apart after two sessions, he pulled the players back together as the GM. Shortly thereafter, he realized just how much it takes to GM a custom world in Pathfinder. At that point, he turned to podcasts to learn at an accelerated pace. He actively plays in War for the Crown and Carrion Crown. Currently, his life has pivoted into the world of software development after years building escape rooms and theatrical sets.

Today’s Question

“You’ve been playing with these people—your best friends—for many years now, but it’s an established fact that they are a hard group to satisfy. Each player has a very different personality with very different interests. The GM could never figure out how to make sure that each player got what they were looking for from the game, and as such, has politely asked you to GM the next game because they need a break. And now, you have 4 players’ eyes on you looking for a story that appeals to each of their interests. Not looking to be chasing ghosts in the dark, you ask them each to tell you what they would like to see in the next setting and in the next story.”

Homebrew a unique setting based off the interests of each player. Roll a d6 for each friend and consult the table to determine what each would like to see in the next game. Tell us what your rolled and give us the elevator pitch for your campaign based on their input.

Answers

David: Will: 3 (demons/devils/fiends)

Amelie: 5 (stone age)

Modestina: 6 (very high speeds)

Shaun: 1 (pirates)

Stone age… pirates?  Who travel at very high speeds??  Did they even have boats in the stone age???  As weird as this sounds, “demons and devils” is the most accommodating part of their demands.

Also, I hate my friends.

They’ve done me no favors with their selections, but I’ll see if I can weave these ideas into something with a semblance of coherence.  My setting takes place in fantasy-influenced prehistoric world.  Think more Far Cry: Primal and less Quest for Fire.

Atalas is a realm of magically floating islands that rest above a thick, impenetrable layer of blood-red clouds… the “Crimson Sea”, as it is known.  Mankind survives in seemingly primitive tribes atop these broad, sometimes sprawling, masses of land.  Humans wield stone-tipped spears while mounted atop pterodactyls.  And magic in the form of witchcraft and shamanism is very, very real.

The Crimson Sea may be formed of rolling clouds, but tribal shamans and sages have learned that elemental magics may be used in the construction of “Cloud Cutters”; small, nimble and incredibly swift ships that ride atop this cloud layer as if it was water, but with one very important difference — the further a cutter travels from the elemental stability of one of the floating islands, the faster it must maintain speed to avoid losing buoyancy and falling through the clouds to certain death far below.

The one exception to this rule are the leviathans.  Majestically large creatures that live within the Crimson Sea seemingly move as they please, even coming to full rests within the crest of the clouds.  The peaceful tribes of Atalas revere these creatures, but the warlike tribes have recently made a terrifying discovery — the blood sacrifice of a leviathan results in the birth of foul, demonic abominations that can be unleashed upon the peaceful tribes.

And that’s where the players come in.  The party is made of a team of pirates — stone spear and bow wielding guardians who sail cloud cutters out to the “deepest” reaches of the Crimson Sea to safeguard leviathans, prevent their enemies from spawning a demonic hordes from the death of one of the beasts, and in times of great emergency slaying the largest, kaiju-like of those spawns before they can reach their home.

They must sail through the clouds at breakneck speeds to avoid falling through; narrowly darting and weaving around small clusters of islands and “rapids” as they chase or battle their enemies.  Never allowed to slow or stop, they rely on arrows, harpoons, ropes with hooks to grapple themselves to their mountanous demonic foes, or even using elemental magic to launch themselves to enemy cutters and living demon-ships.

I imagine I would run a game like this using a more flexible system than my beloved Pathfinder.  Fate, perhaps?  Or maybe GURPS or even Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition.  I also would host a world-building session to have the players flesh the setting out.  I would randomly select players to answer specific questions to fill in the blanks of the world and give them a sense of ownership in it.  “What is your tribe called?”  “What is your tribe’s emblem?”  “Who is the spirit that watches over your tribe?”  “What is the evil tribe called?”  “What is their goal?  Why are they choosing to slaughter leviathans to raise a demon armada?”  And so on.

That’s my idea in a nutshell.  Stone age pirates who must travel at very fast speeds to fight demons.  And, seriously, I do hate these players.  Because now I actually want to play this.

Owen: Building a custom campaign setting for veteran, picky players is always a challenge, and this group of friends isn’t making it any easier. According to the die rolls I got, Will wants to make sure the game has dragons. Amelie wants sci-fi. Modestina insists it be a horror game. Shaun wants the PCs to all be nobles. Without Modestina, this would be easy—I could just run a Starfinder game focusing on dragons and nobles and everyone would be happy.

But the addition of horror as a key element throws things for a loop. Still, time to gamely roll up my sleeves and set up a campaign. I’m going to stick with Starfinder, because (no shock) I know it well and have a great deal of experience creating campaign hacks with that rulesystem to emulate other genres (such as my Really Wild West setting-in-progress). It also leaves me free to borrow from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Horror Adventures for elements if I need to—they aren’t perfectly compatible with Starfinder, but I can easily handle any tweaks needed.

When building a campaign I often like to start with a hook or elevator pitch – a super-short description of the game and what its tropes, themes, and goals focus on summed up in no more than 3-4 sentences. This is useful both as a guiding principle as I design it, and to check my players for their interest level. So, here’s my initial campaign pitch:

“Void and Fire” The interstellar Dragonfyre Hegemon is built on the raw personal power of its dragon overlords,  with thousands of Vassal Worlds allowed extensive self-rule as long as they pay their taxes and do nothing to threaten the status quo. When problems arise, members of the humanoid Eminent Houses—loyal agents of the Hegemon who form the ruling class below true dragons—are sent to handle them. The greatest of these threats are the Drakul—beings who enslave spirits of dead dragons to gain vast powers at the cost of vile appetites and which can infect and consume entire star-systems.

It’s Dune meets Dracula by way of Star Wars.”

The players will all take the roles of up-and-coming members of the Eminent Houses, the nobility of the Dragonfyre Hegemon (or, if desired, their servants). Lords and ladies of nearly unfettered authority on their homeworlds, each is now traveling beyond the safety of the Eminent Worlds for the first time to serve their time as agents of the dragon masters. They are out in the Periphery Systems, where the Hegemons power is much weaker. A major uprising would bring in warships and dragons, of course, but minor issues just don’t pose enough threat to justify the cost of more than a few young Eminents to investigate.

While some of what they are expected to deal with are just political machinations and local rebels or monsters causing problems, the Periphery Systems is also where the Drakul can move nearly unfettered. Part undead, part necromancer, these foes can be any species or profession, linked only by having found an ancient planerrery orb—a device from the Unknown Empire (that the Hegemony defeated thousands of years ago, and about which all knowledge is forbidden by the dragons). A planerrery orb can be used to move between planes, but also to steal the spirits of dead dragons, granting a powerful form of life-consumption and other bizarre powers, and to make lesser versions of Drakul.

The PCs will have access to the best tools they can pay for, shipped at their own expense from the Eminent Worlds, and have draconic themes, archetypes, feats, and equipment to represent their ties to the ruling dragon class. These will include special Dragonfyre weapons, with advantages against specific kinds of foes. But they are far from the security of civilization, and while what is lurking behind the corner may just be a sniper, or a politico hoping to earn a favor, it could also be a marrowwraith waiting to crack their bones open to briefly slake its unholy hunger.

Be alert. Learn much. Stay loyal. Keep your flamer handy.

Logan: United Empire of Goblins and Orcs | No Magic | Horror | Plucky Kids

Player’s Guide:

Dream now. Open not thine eyes, little one. Your mind need not see through the fog…

Fall spirit hung heavily in the air when the mist started to appear. Odd for the mist to get thicker as the days went on.

A thin fog caresses anyone walking through its clutches. Wisps dragging at the souls of everyone passing through. Dreary skies setting the stage for a spooky Halloween.

The cloying moisture hides what happened Halloween night, when the hangman’s tree received new decorations. Not the silly, big-headed ghosts either. Tendrils of fog undulating across the streets, clinging like rotting flesh to the corpse of a town. Going outside means feeling the slithering tentacles oozing across exposed skin, hearing the world with the volume turned down, tasting despair, seeing—

In lakes of air, those of age shan’t fair. We embrace you, come into our night.

Adults do not go into the fog. Adults do not go outside. The boughs of the tree groan with their indiscretion. The windows cloud with the fog’s jealousy. Hiding within, they have intent. In the night their presence swells, transcending waking and sleeping hours. Bottles rattle, sheets rustle, and the walls provide only bodily protection. Adults only have these physical manifestations of mischief to keep them up at night. They cannot hear the nightmares form.

Of each ironclad link of law, we honor. Tell of what it is, why bother?

We hear them each and every night. We hear the peels of unhinged laughter, as they toil. Ringing of hammer on metal, the bellow of steam, and clomping of feet. They stand together in their purpose. We can feel their malevolence, their attention as claws caressing our spines. As we watch, the fog begins to move with purpose, an orchestrated dance across the streets. Only our minds can warp to our new reality. Only we can venture into the fog to find answers.

Violate our truths and we shan’t be gentle as with the youths.

We’ll be using the Kids on Bikes RPG system. Rules flexibility and a focus on story lend itself to building suspense, and it includes resources for handling player safety (hello horror). Additionally, with no health mechanic, there is room for narrative with complete control over any harm that could befall them. This campaign focuses on the kids of the town, any adult never returns from the fog. Only kids able to focus through their fear will be able to work toward unraveling the secrets cloaking their town.

This will be a horror campaign, we will be discussing in more depth what this means before session zero. Currently the focus is on the imagination of children, mixed with the manifestation of the spiritual world. With nothing but guile, wit, and their own two hands they must face the dangers of an unknown foe. While dreaming, kids have a chance to gain insight and motivations of the ephemeral enemy. This can be both a boon and a curse for the kids.

We’ll start the campaign around Halloween. You do not need to be of the same family, or even know each other well. You will need to be young (how young TBD), and have reason to be out and about during the trick or treat time. For this story we’ll work together to design the town. One notable feature is the founding day around Halloween and subsequent growth into a town festival. You will not be receiving a ‘powered’ character in the party. Your struggles will be your own, even in the face of paranormal activity.

As/for the GM:

The following explains some of the assumptions made by working with Amelie and Will.

Amelie desired an X-Files approach to unexplained phenomena. From the perspective of the PC’s there shouldn’t be magic, but strange things can still happen.

For the United Empire, I chose to focus on a culture lost to time. Will is interested in the culture and lore, rather than a military campaign. I started with fairy tale goblins, blended with some of the industry and hierarchy of Tolkien orcs. Much of the plot will revolve around discovering more about their history and place in the world. They will begin shrouded in mystery, but will be a pivotal part of the story. The presence of the goblins and orcs will be felt more than encountered, with dreams providing a direct influence.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What does your campaign look like? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Christen N. Sowards

Christen N. Sowards is an author, game-designer, and publisher at Lost Spheres Publishing. His design credits include work for Paizo, TPK Games, Stormbunny Studios, and several others. He is an advocate for gaming in all its forms and as a vehicle for mutual understanding and personal development. He was the principle designer and author for the City of 7 Seraphs campaign capstone setting and creates content for running better TTRPGs at www.lostspherespublishing.com on his blog. When not slaying imaginary evil, he grows heirloom tomatoes, crafts homemade game terrain, and hoards STL files. He and his husband live in Utah with nearly forty pounds of cats.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: John Godek aka Billiard

I started playing RPGs in the early 80’s with the D&D Basic Set (blue box) and have played numerous TTRPGs and video games since, including leading an international gaming guild with over 600 players and running several international esports tournaments. Several years ago I was fortunate to be on the ground floor of a local campaign with some folks from Paizo, which eventually led to the Intrepid Heroes actual play podcast, the Presenting gaming industry interview podcast, and the Digital Divination Starfinder talk show podcast. Along with these I have been able to do some freelancing for Paizo and other companies. When I am not busy gaming or podcasting, I am a university professor teaching business, having earned a PhD and a couple Master’s degrees after spending 11 years in the Coast Guard doing federal law enforcement and icebreaking.

Fan: Jaina Anderson AKA JainaB

It only occurred to me while writing this it’s been 25 years since I got involved with TTRPGs in 6th grade. Where does the time go? I started back with AD&D, more or less. For the first couple of years I was interested I couldn’t manage to find a group to play with so I just collected and read books, already fascinated at the possibilities. It was only after my family moved between 7th and 8th grades did I find a FLGS and finally got a chance to indulge and get hooked for life. Since then I’ve played through a great many systems, not limited to 3.0 and 3.5 D&D, the Pathfinder 1E Beta and release, and of course the same for 2E; and that’s not counting systems from other publishers (I’m looking at you White Wolf)! These days I tend to be the GM for our home games, and switch between GMing and playing in organized play; an activity I cannot wait to return to after the game room at our FLGS opens again. Outside of gaming I’m a relatively new foster mom, so that’s made my life exceptionally interesting as of late!

Today’s Question

“Good evening. This is Iris Hawthorne, and you’re watching ‘Up to Date.’ Tonight: Governor Nelson faces backlash from coffee shops all across the city, local ecologists warn residents to stay indoors at night as a roaming pack of wolves threatens our streets, and was President Nixon actually three badgers in a trench coat? First, leaked images from a Russian team of marine biologists in St. Petersburg have experts all across the world baffled. This photograph is from the Gulf of Finland, and you can see the large silhouette under the water. Now watch this fishing boat carefully…                 A grisly sight to be sure. Theories as to the identification of this creature from major universities have been pouring in since this tragedy occurred two days ago, and the only thing the experts seem to agree on is that this is too big to be any currently known species. Could this be related to last month’s incident in Milwaukee? Locals in Helsinki are calling it a creature from their legends—the…and I’m sorry if I’m pronouncing this wrong…the Hirviomustekala—also known as the Kraken. In the studio with me here tonight is the mastermind behind the success in Milwaukee. Welcome the Up to Date. I understand that you’ve been contacted by the Kremlin, and that you are to lead the Military Maritime Fleet, or VMF, in the defense against the Kraken. What can tell the world about your strategy going into this?”

A Kraken has been terrorizing the Gulf of Finland, and Putin himself has asked that you be…persuaded…into helping the Russian Navy defeat the monster before any other nations, seeking glory, can do so. You’re being given the authority to direct the actions and budget of the VMF, but the Kremlin retains the authority to overrule any decision that they deem against their best interests. Success will mean enough money to retire early and comfortably, should you choose to do so. Failure…well…let’s just say it wouldn’t be wise to disappoint Vladimir Putin.

Answers

Christen: Why would this life be any different? Someone found me out. Again. Maybe a Pythian, Dark Tank Baby, or random Voyant. I just wanted one lifetime away. Ah well. I knew it wouldn’t last. Like Luectra. Garigliano. Conjured, as always, to fight the un-fightable. Break the unbreakable. Been dreading this since ‘94. I had assumed it was gonna’ be somewhere hot. Somewhere within a stone’s throw of the Mediterranean.  But… Finland… and a The giant kraken, that at least is new. I think. My memory is Swiss cheese this time. Oh well. Oh…  Perhaps the most unlikely thing. Never. Ever. Did I imagine it would be this.—Fighting alongside the Russians. Don’t get me wrong. I get that this is way too close to their interests. And if they let the Westerners deal with it… well we might not exercise caution for the fallout.

Well, getting on with it. First, we EVAC ahead of our last resort. Coastal capitals along the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland. This will probably be ugly and there will be a body count—so we work to minimize. If we can ghost town Helsinki, Tallinn, and St. Petersburg—all the better. Delegate to the loudest dogs I have and get the people out.  Next, the beast. We always simplify the needs of zoological controls. The key will be in understanding. With access to the warheads on the fleet of strike submarines, this can likely be over in a few moments with radioactive gore rained down on the streets of Helsinki. But victory, the kind my new friends want, has to be clean if it can be. And that means knowing the monster. Perhaps we find the silver bullet here in its Biology. An enzyme that is deadly or a lethal allergy. That sort of thing. Until then the assumption is that we have to kill it if we can’t control it. The principle stratagem will rely on subs as many of the fleet as they will send us. Ideally four dozen. Six to be retrofitted with flesh-boring sampling torpedoes ASAP. If they don’t have those already, someone needs to invent them fast. These puppies will core the Leviathan for tissue samples while running imaging tech to map the “Monster Halibut”.  Get the four of the samples to the best biotech people we have.

While the retrofitting is happening, if we can, we maneuver some of the surface fleet for some depth charges, tandem with submarines and we create a blanket of sonic aversion.  Detonations and calibrated sonar pulses to hopefully turn this thing back out to sea. Same time, we get some feet on the ground in Finland. Both for the current heading and past targets.  Look for possible lures or draws. The thing’s behavior isn’t likely random. If we can locate and secure an asset we relocate it to sea. Again the goal is to reverse this beastie’s movement back into the Baltic. Second half of the sub fleet does a full bombard on the critter. Aggravate it and draw again. Probably sounds repetitive. But we have to get it away from the EVAC-sites. Reduce casualties and prepare for final options. If the sonic aversion, direct bombardment, or diversion are successful and we lure it back to sea, we can move up an escalating scale of ballistics from battleship main gun shell assaults to strafes with bombers and jets. If unable to score a confirmed kill. We lure as far as we can to get equidistant from Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Tallinn for a tactical warhead strike—And we nuke the hell out of it. And if that fails or we can’t redirect away from civilian or land targets, well this is where we get weird. Russian special ops will need to mobilize the Vasilev psychic units. Studies indicate the soldiers from the project have limited success with control on dolphin targets so their capacity to impact the Kraken might not be optimal. So we will use all of them. Any the Russians will acknowledge anyway. But if they want this bad enough, they will give me every brat who has ever sat in a Psychotronic Generator or cried in the dark of a Gravity Chamber. The command will be simple. This last ditch conglomeration of super-psychics will tell the now irradiated megafauna to go home. Hopefully buying the sampling team the time they need to figure out the biology of this thing. Assuming it does have a biology we can understand. Hopefully it crawls back out whatever crevice or portal it slid in through. Assuming the psykers fail? Well, I make some calls and we dust off the athame for some good Ol’ Fashion blood-magic…

John: To begin with, we’ll need to both track and contain the kraken in the Gulf of Finland. To do this we’ll deploy the Baltic Fleet, using Kilo-class submarines to track the beast via sonar, and the remaining ships to form a picket line at the mouth of the gulf in order to discourage it from leaving. The maximum depth at the western end of the gulf is less than 150 meters. Fortunately, the smaller vessels of the Baltic Fleet have anti-submarine weaponry, which will be used to discourage the kraken from crossing the picket line when deployed ahead of its path. Containing the kraken in this manner has two significant benefits: 1) it buys time for the substantial firepower of the Northern Fleet to make the transit to the Gulf of Finland, and 2) it prevents other naval fleets from entering the gulf and stealing the glory.

Once the Northern Fleet arrives, the smaller vessels and half of the submarine fleet (approximately 15 surface ships and 15 submarines) will create a total blockade of the western end of the gulf, both above and below the surface. The remaining submarines, along with two Kirov-class battlecruisers, will drive the kraken towards the shallows to the south on the Estonian side of the gulf. At over 250 meters in length and nearly 30,000 tons, the battlecruisers are large enough to weather the onslaught of the kraken should it turn and attack. The submarines, if attacked, will attempt to lure the kraken south, while still staying out of its reach.

Once the kraken is driven to the surface in the southern shallows, aircraft from the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which will remain out in the Baltic Sea, will be deployed for an aerial bombardment using anti-ship cruise missiles with high explosive warheads. These will be supplemented by anti-ship cruise missiles from both Kirov-class battlecruisers and three Oscar-class submarines. In all, it is expected that at least 20 direct hits by the 750kg high explosive warheads on the P-700 Granit cruise missiles will be required to take the kraken down, meaning these must be reserved until the kraken has been driven to the shallows where it will have limited mobility. The Kirov-class battlecruisers and the Oscar-class submarines will drive the kraken there through use of heavy torpedoes.

This onslaught would be sufficient to disable the largest and most heavily armored warship ever built. Should this fail to defeat the kraken, then the Kremlin will be contacted for permission to deploy a cruise missile with a 500 megaton warhead. In this instance, the kraken would be lured out to deeper water so as to allow for a subsurface detonation of the nuclear warhead, thereby confining the fallout locally to the area of the explosion.

Jaina: The Kraken!? This is the second beast of legend in as many months! One must wonder what is going on, but that’s a question for someone else to solve. Right now however ours not to reason why, ours is just to make it die.

I suppose I should be glad to have a nautical threat. In many ways this is far more simple than the situation in Milwaukee. Submarines, and anti-submarine weaponry, have been around for over a hundred years. Tracking and destroying underwater threats is far more conventional than a subterranean mission!

What luck we’ve found it in a relatively shallow gulf as well! Before anything else we will be deploying a line of warships and submarines to close the 70 km wide entrance against the creature. Then we need to know what exactly it is we are up against. We need intelligence. After all, reports of this beast through the years vary greatly, both in form and, more importantly, size. It’s been described from anywhere near to 30 meters long, to 16 kilometers in length. Before we commit weaponry to the cause, we need to figure out if we are shooting an overgrown fish, or trying to destroy a virtual island!

We will have aircraft deploy an array of sonobouys across the Gulf of Finland immediately. If this creature is truly of proportions described in legends finding it should be the least of our problems.  Even if it’s 30 meters in length an active sonar system should locate it eventually. Failing that, we can use helicopters for aerial reconnaissance, looking for the giant silhouette it makes, and of course, deploy bait. But more on that later.

After locating it, strategy will largely depend upon its size. If it is merely 10s of meters long conventional anti-submarine munitions should prove sufficient. There may be some difficulty striking an unconventional target, but the fact we are not targeting modern armor means what does hit should cause exceptional damage. And if the first salvo is not enough, we can always fire more.

If the kraken is larger though, as large as some landmasses, well, that’s when things get messy…

Perhaps the easiest idea is to use what we already know of its behavior. We’ve seen it prey upon fishing boats once, it’s not outlandish to assume that, given the chance, it will do so again. So we load another boat, an unmanned boat, and we make sure it’s loaded with some fish to get the kraken’s attention. And then we can set off explosives concealed within. Without needing to worry about a delivery mechanism a singularly impressive payload could be carried.

I think everyone can agree that nuclear force is not an option. However, we have other options. Options such as the ‘Папа всех бомб ‘, or the ‘Father of all Bombs’. Capable of producing an explosive force equivalent to 44 tons of TNT, even a 16 kilometer long target would be badly wounded. And that is designed to be dropped from a bomber. Aboard a ship, many such bombs could be included, for an explosion of cataclysmic proportions. At least, cataclysmic for the Kraken that is.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. How would you lead the VMF to defeat the mighty Kraken? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Grant Berger

I’ve been involved in d20 systems since 1998, but didn’t start TTRPGs until 2013. In 2015, I became a founding member of the Glass Cannon Network, playing the Dwarven Gunslinger Barron (Redheart) Ashpeak. You can check out all of our actual play podcasts, get involved with the Naish, and more at glasscannonnetwork.com.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Amanda Hamon

I’m the Editorial Director for Kobold Press, former Managing Developer for Starfinder at Paizo, and a tabletop RPG designer, writer, developer, and editor. I’ve been making RPGs professionally for nearly a decade, and I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs, starting with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 and White Wolf’s World of Darkness games, since I was 15 years old! I’m also a certified trash panda who likes crappy bars and underground wrestling.

Fan: Lucas Servideo the Smart Goblin

With a storied career in gaming, Lucas has played various systems throughout the ages and has the dice to prove it. A former graphic designer, now copier technician, he uses his skills to create items for his local community. Lucas is well known for his character journals as well as his “wee” core books. He is an active part of the Paizo Organized Play Community in Massachusetts as well as online. He serves as Venture Captain, managing the North Shore. Lucas is also known for his work at GenCon running Kids Track and Academy.

Today’s Question

“Stories of heroes are a dime a dozen, and you’ve just enshrined yours as another that the bards will sing for centuries to come. It was a long series of adventures that lead to the myriads of different ways you saved the world, and it started to become apparent to you, as you neared the final climatic battle, that you’re “getting too old for this s***.’ Peoples all across the land are safe for now, and future threats will have to be dealt with by future upstarts looking to make a name for themselves. For now, you have one last adventure as far as you know—retirement. In the beginning, your plans were for your next move against those that would oppose you. Slowly, they shifted to how you would enjoy the free time of your golden years. It’s time to pass the torch. You’re ready for this, and you deserve it.”

Briefly tell me who your most successful hero is and what they did to save the day. Next, tell me how they plan to spend their post-adventuring retirement days.

Answers

Grant: (Spoiler warning for a recent episode of New Game, Who Dis? – Delta Green)

Ryker Solace had worked hard all of his life. Born on the Fourth of July, he was destined to protect his native land, but as the child of hard-working immigrant parents, everything he possessed was earned—never given. Distinguished service for the Federal Bureau of Investigation during repeated incidents of clear and present danger forged the man. Agent Solace lived above and beyond the call of duty in order to protect the unalienable rights every person living in the United States of America deserved. As his life would always come second to his sacred responsibilities, he lived his callsign: “Jagged Patriot.”

Though work was immensely fulfilling, Ryker’s life remained extraordinarily lonely. The bonds of secrecy demanded his silence towards those he loved most—his wife Almeda and his four-year-old son, Maxim. Much of his existence would remain buried and hidden away from his family, too much for Almeda to bear. “You’re so distant, Ryker,” she said. “I can’t raise our son like this.” The last words spoken during their short marriage echoed through Ryker’s mind endlessly.

To fill the bereavement of his family life, and the dispossession of his son, Ryker entrenched himself even more deeply into his investigations. Counter-Terrorism chewed up and spat out the toughest recruits from Quantico. Those wise enough to navigate their lives safely through the squall of National Security would moor themselves safely behind a desk sooner rather than later. Agent Solace ignored the warning signs, refusing promotions, and drank heavily whenever he had the spare time. It was in these desperate moments that Delta Green found him awash in despair and unanchored. He would serve this agency with the same fervor he did the FBI.

Investigating the paranormal, the umbrous fringes of reality, came easily to him. To Solace, the work was no different infiltrating sleeper cells and the stakes were just as high. In either case his failure would mean the end. The end of everything.

*******************

His final job for Delta Green took place in Keene, New York. His team had finally tracked down the source of a mathematical algorithm that drove those who understood it to homicidal insanity. Once again he excelled in the field work, placing his fellow agents’ safety above his own. They had cornered the being in the home of Frances Wei, alone in the wilderness of Upstate New York. In the process of subduing a centuries-old body-hopping paranormal entity, he saved Dr. Lyra Westover’s life. Jagged Patriot had saved the day one last time.

Five years later, Assistant Professor Ryker Solace began his first class at American University dissecting one of the recently declassified missions he had led. His eager students regarded him not just as their sagacious mentor, but as a national hero. Though he took pride in shaping the minds of the next generation of patriots that would leave his class to defend the purest ideals of American liberty, he found true fulfillment elsewhere. As the clock struck two in the afternoon, Ryker concluded, “That will be all for today. Class dismissed.”

His students slowly filed out of the room, folded laptops underarms and backpacks over their shoulders. Yet one student remained in the auditorium – much younger than the rest of the students there.

“Can we go yet, dad? Practice starts soon!” Ryker smiled as he gathered his teaching materials, “We’ll get there, Maxim. And, we’ll get ice cream afterwards. Deal?” Maxim demurred, “But mom doesn’t let me have ice cream on weeknights!” Ryker bent over to pick up his son’s gym bag, filled with baseballs, cleats, a leather glove and several bats. “Then let’s just keep this classified. On a need to know basis. Your mother does not need to know. Copy?” Maxim ran to his father’s side, gripping his hand tightly. “Roger, Dad.” They beamed at one another as they left campus on that late summer day.

And thus concluded Ryker’s final dream, the evening before he would meet his demise in the line of duty. He would not make it to Maxim’s next baseball practice, even though he had promised to do so.

Amanda: I’ve had a lot of PCs whose success is questionable (ask me about my P2 hobo), but every once in a while I turn up the optimization factor to 11. That was certainly true of Ellindel, the half-elven bloodrager who years ago completed James Jacobs’ converted Temple of Elemental Evil game alongside several other Paizo developers’ characters. Ellindel’s Strength, combat feats, and gear were all kitted out, complete with a grumpy intelligent sword named Murmandamindas (Moomaw? Mothman? Ellindel loved to forget his name), who functioned as, if I recall, a +3 greatsword. Ellindel helped the party get out of more frays than she ever should have survived. One particularly memorable scene involved Ellindel and Jillian, Crystal Frasier’s fighter, locking arms and cutting down literally dozens of ghouls together. While singing.

However, despite her combat prowess, it was Ellindel’s child-like ardor for a taxidermy squirrel that eventually fully endeared her to the party. When hit with a confusion spell in a storage closet, Ellindel noticed the oddity and became convinced that it was her childhood pet, Stewart, who had finally found her. (This was all, of course, in her backstory; Ellindel had grown up in Kyonin with her elven father and loved woodland critters.) Stewart became the party’s mascot, and word about him got out through the magic of the Internet. I have more than one gifted Stewart plush. I have a Stewart finger puppet with the kill count sign he carried in-game, made by the incredible Linda Zayas-Palmer. It was a thing.

Ellindel survived the temple, and even got the last blow on its infamous juggernaut and crippled its final boss. But her adventures in the temple were so bizarre that I can only imagine she returned home to Kyonin for at least a time afterward. She had accomplished so much in her young life—plus, Stewart reminded her of how much she missed the forest and all her pets! I like to imagine that Ellindel then spent a good decade back in her sleepy forest home, toting the taxidermy Stewart around, talking to him as she always did in the temple, and “hearing” her Battle Squirrel narrating her daily life. Except this time, instead of telling stories of the foes she cut down and warning of the dangers ahead, Stewart’s stories take a more peaceful tone. “Ellindel, that’s the most beautiful pruning job I’ve ever seen on Teri the tree! Well done!” and “Ellindel, remember what happened last time we didn’t wait after our snack before swimming? That’s right. We got a tummy ache.”

I do miss that game, and all the people in it. I miss Ellindel, and I miss Stewart. Luckily, those fellow players turned into some of my best friends ever. And I’ll always have the Stewart finger puppet.

Lucas: I am going to have to cheat a bit on this because, throughout my years of gaming, I have done more GMing than playing. I have only played a few characters that came close to retiring before the games came to an end. We all know how it is—groups disbanding, scheduling issues, and life changes bring many a game to an early close. Because of that, I have played very few that retired officially. I had to make a tough choice between those few. Would it be my 7th Sea Pirate who left life on the sea to have family, or my Marvel Superhero character who left the world of man to retire alone, sick of the new generation of heroes? What follows is the story of a Werewolf the Apocalypse character I played named Samuel Irons. I chose this character because his legacy transferred to my Organized Play characters which in turn tied into the Pathfinder head canon I have—the last ride of Samuel Irons and the home for the Wayward.

Samuel was always a fan of cowboys, dreaming of shoot outs, horse chases, posses, and swift justice on the plains. These things were not something he thought would happen to a kid living in the city. Little did he know he was a Werewolf. When his dual nature came to light, it made his dreams come true. Guns, Motorcycles, and even a friend called Sheriff, were now part of his story.

Life was good for Samuel until the vampires and mages got involved. Called before the werewolf council, Samuel was ordered to assist the mages and the vampires to find a powerful spirit that had been corrupting an area close to Boston. Samuel had no choice but to agree to help these others, but was secretly excited to be part of a posse against a big bad guy. The investigation took them throughout the city of Boston with a fresh round of motorcycle chases and gun fights. It culminated in a final confrontation where Samuel took out the creature with an enchanted fire axe.

When we got together for the next session, the GM told us the city would heal, but pointed out the true cost of the battle. Many of the fallen heroes left behind children, who were now orphans and had no one. When Samuel learned of this he worked with others to make an orphanage for the children that survived. “Iron’s Home for the Wayward” became the refuge for all supernatural orphans, no matter what their flavor. He made it into a place where they were supported and trained to survive.

Many years later, when brainstorming for a character concept for Pathfinder Society, I came up with a Half-Elf Oracle who brought with him the Home for the Wayward to Ustalav. This version of the Home was founded by Samuel Tumaz. I used the last name of my great grandparents to help tie Saumel in his new incarnation to Golarion. The home for the wayward would take those orphaned/abandoned children of adventurers that did not come back in one way or another. There were other changes as well, all children who lived at the home were adopted by Samuel. Now one big family and bearing his last name, they were trained to fight the monsters that may have taken their parents. In Pathfinder Society PF1, I have 35 characters, and 4 are from this home.  I am working on PF2’s first member in Society play now. The Legacy of Samuel not only inspired me in another system but allowed me to pay tribute to my great grandparents as well.

Bonus Submission!

Ryan Costello

One day I woke up and realized “I’m Ryan Costello.” From a young age, that meant a joy in creating—writing specifically—and a love of fun and games. There were frustrating times and there were lonely times, as my tendency to create and my poor ability to recall knowledge meant often lead to lying, creating rifts between me and my friends who, rightly, didn’t trust me. Then in high school I discovered RPGs. Suddenly, making up stories and fun and games overlapped! I made friends! I grew as a person. I built a career and a hobby and a network of podcasts, blogs, and friends. I met my wife playing D&D, which lead to having a wonderful family. Looking back with age and wisdom, finding RPGs helped me find myself.  Oh, also I’m the director of logistics here at the Know Direction network.

Karkerkast

Sprinkling solvent into his aquarium reminded Karkerkast of his days of adventure. He hated the party he adventured with. “Never-Ending” Orsen’s arrogance. Tass’ broken brain. Talia’s optimism. Ranslarr. But he loved the adventures. Karkerkast The Troll Slayer joined them to route out invading trolls. He didn’t leave them until he beheaded Kayser the troll god of chaos.

Karkerkast had a family name. Years amongst humans made him forget it. Truly, some days he struggled to remember his first name beyond “Kark”. The human need to nickname betrayed their intolerance for syllables. And gnomes love syllables.

A family name in exchange for a life away from gnomes was well worth it for Karkerkast. Kark. He earned his Troll Slayer nickname as his village’s night sheriff. A job he took to be alone. In reality, the position was practically useless. Between the tinkerers’ traps and the illusionists’ veils, the village defended itself. If Karkerkast didn’t volunteer for the position, the position wouldn’t have been filled. Except maybe by a construct.

Kark cherished life away from his fellow gnomes with their “here’s something interesting”s and “have you ever, oh you must”s. Working at night spoiled him with silence. He passed the hours exercising, studying the weaknesses of threats in the area, and dabbling in alchemy. He toned his mind as much as his muscles.

When a troll scout penetrated the illusory veil protecting the city, Karkerkast threw himself into his role. With an acid-soaked lasso and flinted hammer, Kark mounted the back of the troll and pounded into his foe’s regenerative hide until he had dug knee deep into troll guts. By then, straps of skin cocooned his legs while the troll flailed his claws trying to reach him. Kark continued on his anatomic journey until he burst through the troll’s chest, heart in hand.

Most other aspects of his retirement reminded Karkerkast of the days before his first kill. The modest cabin he built from the same wood as his sheriff’s office. Books stacked as high as he days he had time to read. The silence of Kayser’s demiplane in which he took up occupancy once they’d cleared it of qlippoth. But his aquarium -with Kayser’s severed head and the heart of the first troll he killed both floating in just enough dissolved acid to prevent regeneration but not enough to destroy the specimens- it reminded him of adventure.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What’s your hero’s retirement plan? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
Tim Nightengale aka Timitius (pronounced “Tim-eye-tee-us”)

I’ve been an RPG player since the Red Box in the 80’s, and had the very good fortune to land in a Paizo office campaign or two. This led to freelancing for Paizo to create several monsters in various APs and Bestiary books, helping found PaizoCon, and becoming the Editor-in-Chief of the Wayfinder fanzine for 16 issues (we are now in the Open Call for issue #21, with our first PFPRG 2.0 issue). In my day job, I am a fisheries ecologist, specializing in benthic macroinvertebrate ecology (aka river bugs).

Know Direction Network Staff Member:  Rob Pontious (@silentinfinity)

Hello, my fine family and friends!  I’m Rob or silentinfinity! I’m a lover of TTRPGs starting way back with D&D 1st Ed and now Pathfinder and the World of Darkness. I DM/GM/Storytell more than I plays, but I love crafting a story whether for a world or a character—enjoying the collaborative nature of the game.  I write #InvestingIn for us here at Know Direction, am a member of Order of the Amber Die, play the uncanny Ateran in Roll for Combat’s Three Ring Adventure, and also play Donovan for Gehenna Gaming’s Monster Hearts 2 actual play.

I’m a resident of Rhode Island and a football fan working in web commerce by day and enjoying writing and gaming as a creative outlet by night.  I look forward to gathering friends again for board games, love RPG video games (Dragon Age!), card games, and I’ve even done a little LARPing in my time.  I’m a GAYMER and so very appreciative of the wide community embracing one another!  I love meeting new people, and I’m ever eager to celebrate them and their interests.  My motto is work hard, play harder!

Fan: Tim Hager aka Dungeon Novice

I first played D&D 3e in high school for a semester project. A few years later, I found myself wanting to play again, found a group and have since been playing on and off for about 10 years. I run the Know Direction Instagram and Minecraft accounts, and have even been on a few Geek Together episodes! Like so many others, I find it hard to keep a group together, and in the year 2020 it’s more difficult than ever. When not engaging in the Finder arts, I’m also a father to a middle-schooler and work in healthcare, but I mostly do the normal hobbies of TV, video games, and hanging out with friends (holding to proper social distancing rules, of course).

Today’s Question

“This is Iris Hawthorne and you’re watching ‘Up to Date.’ Tonight: the governor rises taxes on home improvement goods, local homeless shelters all across the nation are talking about a strange phrase that residents are uttering in their sleep, and you won’t believe the story of these 16 kittens that braved the Grand Canyon’s rapids to make it back home. But first, it appears the source of the unusual seismic activity that we’ve been seeing for the past 7 days near Milwaukee has finally been determined. A large worm that witnesses say is the size of a city bus has been observed emerging from the ground and destroying local subdivisions. For more, we have Gary White on the scene. Gary?

Hi Iris. I’ve never seen anything quite like this! As you can see behind me, the devastation done to these communities rivals that of any tornado. If it weren’t for these tunnels left behind, you’d scarcely believe this strange beast could even be real. Locals are calling it ‘The Purple Worm.’ We have cryptozoological experts flying in from all over the country trying to help the local national guard track and detain this monster, but so far, efforts to thwart its rampage have been in vain. But all hope is not lost here in Milwaukee. I have here with me a specialist that the federal government has put in control of the local police assets. As I understand it, scientists from all over the world are begging for this creature to be captured for study, but countless families are dying every day. Can you please tell the nation, what do you plan to do about this ‘Purple Worm?’”

A purple worm is somehow attacking the suburbs bordering Milwaukee! You’ve been assigned be the government to deal with the problem in whichever manner you see fit. Your orders come from secretive authorities higher than your boss’s bosses, and those authorities wish the problem dealt with in as subtle and unassuming manner as possible. As such, you’re only being given the power to direct the actions, and budget, of the Milwaukee police department. Should you fail to ‘solve’ the problem with only these assets, you will not only lose your job, but it’s possible you may lose your life too.

Answers

Tim N: As a scientist that studies invertebrates in real life, the very first thing that I did was RESEARCH. What are the capabilities of the Milwaukee PD? Do they have a SWAT team? Are they militarized at all? Bomb Unit? Use technological tools? In short, do they have the tools necessary to deal with a gargantuan rampaging subterranean worm? Maybe. Just maybe….

First, as the specialist from “the Feds”, I would collect data.  That means I’d ask the detectives and special investigators to treat this like a serial murderer case and collect evidence. I’d want forensic evidence from the scenes. Presumably, we’d find acid residue from the worm, perhaps some broken teeth. Investigators would collect information as to when it attacked, and what activities had been occurring at the scene of the attack in the last hour prior to the worm surfacing. I’d direct the investigators to look for patterns and similarities in each attack. Was there construction nearby? A house party with loud music (deep bass subwoofers)? Armed with the evidence, we’d look at the locations on a map of the area, looking for patterns. Are the locations equidistant from a point? That would indicate the creature returns to a nest or burrow after each attack. Are they on a path? That would suggest the worm is on the move in a particular direction and attacking when hungry, or reacting to some surface stimuli. Armed with that information, we could start to guess where the worm may attack next and would deploy our next units to watch and wait.

Monitoring is key when waiting for an animal to show up. Seismic monitoring would be necessary to detect underground movement in an area, so therefore police forces would need to acquire some from the nearby university and deploy them in those areas deemed high probability for “worm sign”. (Yes, I’d encourage the entire force to watch “Tremors” and “Dune”…reference material, you know.) Everything would be mobilized for the next detection, and sighting. Sharpshooter units would be equipped high caliber rifles with armor-piercing rounds. Officers would also be equipped with GPS dart launchers, currently used to mark fleeing vehicles. Such projectiles are adhesive, so modifications would be required to have them stick into a worm’s hide. This will allow officers to potentially track the creature if it escapes.

Finally, once the worm is located underground, if it escapes, the bomb unit would deploy its remote-controlled robot to carry a remotely detonated explosive down into the tunnels directly to the worm. The intent would be for the creature to devour the robotic unit and explosive payload. The payload would have both a remote trigger, as well as one that would detonate when exposed to acid.  As a backup, I’d also have the department procure large quantities of Sevin, a carbayl-based insectide known to be highly toxic to earthworms, along with tanker trucks and water cannons to spray the creature down. Backups upon backups will need to be in place to quickly neutralize its threat and minimize future attacks.

Failing that, I would take solace in knowing that Milwaukee is known in the Menominee language as Māēnāēwah, which means “some misfortune happens.” So, there you go…(shrug).

Rob: A purple worm loose in Milwaukee!  Now this is what it’s like when worlds collide.  My first step would be to load up a playlist to help me plan—Powerman 5000 at the top and maybe a couple other times throughout.  Looking up my available budget, that’s 297 million USD (mpdguardians.com).  Okay, honestly, a pretty nice site with information on the officers and the resources at their/my/our disposal.  I’d call for a strategy planning team with designated leaders for community protection, location and tracking, air assault, long distance assault, and trapping.

First, all those that might engage are told to stay at least 200 feet from the creature or more than a 100 as an extreme based on information I’ve attained (depending on the edition of course).  It may be able to see normally but in darkness it can track by ground movement.  I might show the team Avatar the Last Airbender and how Toph feels movement on the ground if they’re so confused.  Second, for community protection, we’d want people to stay separated, avoid crowds, and avoid where animals congregate.  Considering we’d want to do this subtly, the leader of that group would need to see events cancelled due to possible threats.  Meanwhile, we’d want a herd animal or zoo (the county zoo?) scouted for possible location while a sub team under that location and tracking leader (familiar with seismic instruments) plots how the purple worm is moving.

We’d want the SWAT team to plan a long distance, heavy weapons assault at night while any agents with explosive (possible army or other EOD unit) or chemistry knowledge to assist in a planned drone, aerial attack.  With the expectation the creature can only sense maybe within 100 feet (or worse case double that at 200) and not anything in the air in the dark, our teams would be equipped night vision goggles.  We would mount a trap of long-distance heavy assault weapons and non-nuclear explosives to optimally enter its mouth via drone or otherwise assault its belly as it came up from the ground, or if lucky enough, from an existing cavern.  The latter would be riskier due to travel on ground.

It may be unfortunate but the tracking and trapping team may designate it necessary to bring a large number of animals together to lure the creature to the point we wanted; especially if it’s traveling underwater or near a highly populated area downtown.  This seems likely due to its attack on subdivisions.  Again, we’d target a few areas of choice with the tracking and trapping teams to create a lure plan for our assault based on seismic data of the creature’s movements indicated.

For medical purposes I’d have the team ready for acid (digestive fluids), poison (stinging venom), and heavy impact.

Finally, once destroyed, it would be imperative to find its nesting den to destroy any eggs or evidence while seeing to the structural integrity of the caverns left behind.  And, of course, prepare my new team for future threats.  Considering the media blitz, it’s bound to get out on the internet (looking at you reddit) that a monster out of TTRPGs was roaming Milwaukee!

Tim H: The first thing I want to say is, there is a silver lining to this situation. From what we know about Purple Worms they tend to be solitary, so this one is likely alone. We also know they tend to make their lairs in large caverns, so actually having set up here in Milwaukee makes sense. In fact, some of us in the cryptozoology community have been warning that these and other creatures might come out of hiding soon.

Our plan is simple; after Purple Worms eat, they tend to rest for long periods to digest. That’s when we’ll head in. The Milwaukee Police Department is going to be heading into old brewery caves in small numbers to verify which of these old caves the worm has nested in, a job made easier by the tunnels it leaves behind and the areas it’s been attacking. Once we determine which cave has become its home, we’ll be sending in SWAT with a backup of regular officers all armed with a mixture of traditional weaponry, tranquilizers, and, I’m not joking when I say this, fire extinguishers. Based off of previous survival accounts everyone assumed fabricated, the internal temperature of Purple Worms is high. Now, with this creature making itself undeniably known, we believe that internal temperature is generated to allow the worm to better grind up the stone it passes through. We plan to force this Purple Worm to ingest cooling agents to slow its digestion and effectively force it to shut down. It will be at this point the MPD will sedate the creature to the point it can be moved to secure facilities for study.

Again, we intend to study the Purple Worm alive to better understand how it works, but that is not our only plan. If cooling it doesn’t help, then we will still have over 1,000 officers armed with surplus military gear ready to go. Explosives, automatic rifles, and even the less-lethal options such as rubber bullets, which should damage its chitinous hide when fired upon directly.

While we feel we are prepared for this task, we do want to send out a call to any magical creatures who may be in hiding to assist us. It may sound ridiculous, but this creature was also thought by the greater community to be fictitious. So, if there are others out there sympathetic to the senseless deaths occurring here, we beg your assistance.  Anything you can provide, be it magical, weaponry, or even research would be of tremendous help. Thank you, and thank you, Gary.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. What would be your plan to lead these brave men and women to victory? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Steve Kenson

I’m Steve Kenson, RPG freelancer, staff designer for Green Ronin Publishing, and owner/operator of Ad Infinitum Adventures, publisher of Icons Superpowered Roleplaying. I’ve been involved in the RPG industry professionally since 1993 and have written or contributed to well over two hundred different products, including nine tie-in novels. I live in New Hampshire with my partners, Adam and Christopher, and we run a nonprofit pagan temple and a small pagan/metaphysical publishing imprint (Copper Cauldron Publishing) together.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Ryan Costello

I am one of the hosts of the Know Direction podcast, the Director of Operations at the Know Direction Network, and the writer of the Recall Knowledge weekly recap of KD’s content. By day, I am a mild-mannered creative person at Blind Ferret Entertainment and its subsidiary Laughing Dragon Studios. There I write other blogs, as well as ad copy. I touch up scripts for production, and pitch and develop project ideas. In the hobby, I am known for my love of Pathfinder: the RPG I have easily played more than any other. I am starting to branch out into other systems and genres, but it would take a lot to dethrone Pathfinder as my #1.

Fan: Dave Nelson aka Davicthegrey

I have been playing tabletop games since 2007 and freelancing in the Pathfinder sphere since 2016. I have a pair of silver best sellers on DrivethruRPG and most recently wrote the articles for Cayden Cailean and Gozreh for Lost Omens: Gods and Magic. When not in the word mines, I work in IT and earned a bachelor’s in cybersecurity this past spring.

Today’s Question

“They don’t know hardship. The entitled masses feign superiority from a position of blind ignorance. They were born to lives of opulence yet yearn for heights even greater still. Despite, they continue to debase themselves in behavior and in thought without ever lifting a finger to work towards the station they so desire. This society…no…all societies are no better than the social castes within the animal world that they see themselves above. They need leadership. They need a strong presence. They need…me. My plans are absolute. My machinations, unstoppable. My dreams will lift these unworthy masses to heights unimaginable. I am benevolence made manifest.”

You are a villain. Not just any villain; no. You are a super villain with a plan to lift society into your vision of a utopia. Pick any setting from sci-fi, fantasy, or even the modern day for you to inhabit. Who are you and what is your modus operandi? What does your utopia look like? How will you bring it about?

Answers

Steve: Well, speaking as someone who owns a T shirt that says “Magneto Made Some Valid Points,” this is certainly topical. I’ve said that, if I had sufficient power, there are definitely times when it would make me a super-villain, especially when it comes to addressing the world’s problems or injustices.

I’m reminded of an Aberrant campaign that I ran years ago, where the main antagonists were both from the future (the Æon era of the setting) accidentally thrown back into the past and stranded there. One, a mad aberrant, wanted to bring about the coming Aberrant War on-schedule, if not sooner, and ensure his own eventual existence. The other, a telepathic psion, worked behind the scenes, extending a vast, invisible network of influence in a valiant effort to change history and avert the Aberrant War, even if it meant eliminating the future he came from.

I empathize a lot with that telepathic mastermind: Imagine having the power to know, without a doubt, the contents of people’s minds, what they are really thinking. Imagine being an investigator who can learn anything, so long as someone knows it, and further being able to influence and change those thoughts. The temptation would be tremendous, even if you only intended to use your power for good. After all, who is necessarily going to believe you if you say you can read minds and have evidence of wrongdoing—for that matter, how long will you survive once people with secrets to keep find out what you can do?

If I were the villain, I would be someone who gives in to that temptation to try and make people do the right things, whether they want to or not, and judging people on their own thoughts and memories. Tendrils of invisible influence would extend throughout the world, and countless people would have their thoughts and memories altered, doing what needs to be done for the greater good—at least as one person sees it. The burden of responsibility for making all of those decisions and trying to manage an impossibly complex system appeals to my workaholic nature, too!

The world would be more peaceful, prosperous, and fair, and all it would cost is the free will of a small percentage of people, maybe even a few lives lost here and there, necessary sacrifices. Even if someone manages to uncover the truth without my immediately finding out (my eyes and ears are everywhere!) what are they going to do? Destroy the peace, hope, and prosperity of the world just because they don’t like how it was achieved? More often than not, it won’t take much to make them my accomplices and, as I well know, once you’ve committed to the path, it’s almost impossible to turn back.

If that all sounds frighteningly plausible and dangerous, well, good. The best villains consider themselves the heroes of their own stories, and sometimes the best of intentions lead to very bad ends. I’m just grateful I’m not saddled with that kind of power…at least, not so far as you know.

Ryan: First, a confession. When Loren asked me if I thought “design a villain” was a suitable BTK prompt, I not only told her yes, I called dibs on being the network member who answered it. I just happened to have thought up a fun Mutants & Masterminds villain in the car the day before and was as excited about the idea as I was bummed that I probably would never get to use it. Well I am bummed no more!

Meet Emoji.

Within every emotion there is the potential to cause harm. Love makes parents see the mundane as threats to their children. Passion builds walls between likeminded individuals. Loyalty overrides logic and reason.

With a smile, frown, chuckle, or wink, Emoji locks others into a single emotion for hours. What might start as a casual appreciation for the world at large reveals itself to be an inability to see guilt in stealing, or horror in murder. A woman with a raised eyebrow holds someone by the ankles out of a window because she was curious what would happen. A crying boy locks himself in a closet with a loaded gun because the world is a scary place. A strong emotion at the wrong time can ruin a life, like a laugh at a funeral.

Using his power for personal gain once was enough to satisfy Emoji. After years of a wink at a bank scoring him whatever money he needed, or sympathetic eyes getting him out of any trouble, the world not only being a challenge, stopped making sense. It shouldn’t be so easy to get his way by manipulating people one emotion at a time.

Emoji understands that value of emotions, he just believes that there is an imbalance in how they are used. His short-term goal is for the world to put on a neutral face. Then, he can conduct experiments by way of emotion allowances. Once the unproductive emotions have been eliminated, the unreliable emotions regulated, and the remaining emotions properly audited, they can be gradually reintroduced to the population. That is Emoji’s long term goal: not an emotionally neutered population, just one where emotions don’t overrule logic and reasoning.

Nelson: Fools often quote Niccolò Machiavelli by saying that it is better to be feared than loved. This is a myopic shorthand for those who cannot grasp nuance. Machiavelli’s true suggestion was to be able to walk the line between both. Keep the admiration of the populace, while also cowing any rebellion with threat of reprisals. This is how the world must be led.

If the public can be satisfied and feel comfortable with their leadership, they will defend it themselves with no need for my intervention. A visibly closed fist breeds resentment, but a shielding hand creates loyalty. People can easily be convinced that one is the other and this is the best way to maintain power. Once everyone is assured that the changes you are bringing about are to their benefit, I can begin to shape the world.

Using the economic resources at my disposal, I would eliminate homelessness and hunger. From there, the masses would be free to explore careers and areas that suit their interests and abilities. This will create a stronger societal foundation from which to build. Despite granting them all independence, the world will know I was the one who made it possible. With nothing left to fight over, humanity will fall into a steady rhythm of life, free from struggle. My status will be assured. Because you see, I am not the villain. I am the hero, they just had to be made to see it.

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. How would your villain shape their utopia? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guests. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment below or on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Patrick Kapera

I’ve been designing tabletop games professionally since 1998, but I’ve been playing them since 1980. I was weaned on AD&D, and my teens were a blur of Twilight: 2000, Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, and my dearest, bleakest love, Call of Cthulhu. I was hired at AEG as a staff editor, then moved up to staff writer and eventually started building my own games there, including Spycraft. In 2005 I left AEG to start my own company, Crafty Games, which makes a little of everything: board games, RPGs, game accessories, the lot. Most days I struggle with the grim reality of being an extreme introvert with an extrovert’s hobby. The rest of the time I manage to forget myself and be someone else… as we do.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Dustin Knight aka KitsuneWarlock

I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs since Eye of the Wyvern in 1999, and I’ve been writing Fox’s Cunning on Know Direction since last Halloween. I’m a proud freelancer for Paizo & Everybody Games, Venture Officer for Pathfinder Society, and chat addict on approximately two dozen Pathfinder related discords. I have a bachelor’s in graphic design with a smattering of diverse minors. I’m always looking to immerse myself in the study of different cultures, from art history and cuisine to travel and philosophy.

Fan: Katrina Hennessy – sometimes known as Numbat

Officially ancient, I first enjoyed D&D in the mid-70s. While there were many long breaks from RPGs in the intervening years, I dabbled with many different ones before being introduced to Pathfinder. Gen Con 50 introduced me to Paizo’s Organized Play (as well as Starfinder), and I soon became immersed in that community. My career choice presentation in high school was on becoming an author. Now, after multiple other careers, I have dipped my toes into the refreshing pool of freelance writing (paid but not published) and look forward to following my earlier dreams.

Today’s Question

“Outside of your team, only a handful of people have ever heard your name and lived. Less than that are still alive that are aware of your exploits. The whole world has you to thank for averting crises that they remain blissfully unaware of, but it’s a debt that will never be repaid. You’re not the best spy there is; you’re the best spy there ever was. Your agency is receiving intel that another threat is on the rise. The mastermind behind the coming scheme is also the only mission you ever failed—Karminka Kuznetsov. She’s back after having escaped justice ten years ago, and this time she’s ready with an even more powerful and loyal organization to help enact her plan for global domination. Intel states that her outfit is called SOKOL, and they number thousands of elite mercenaries, alchemists, arcanists, and other spies who’s pockets are lined with laundered coin originating in hidden diamond mines. With Kuznetsov at the helm, SOKOL has been buying or blackmailing leaders from all around the world to follow her orders from behind the scenes, seizing artifacts with her forces, and developing some kind of arcane superweapon. You’re going to be sent into the field with two mission objectives, and you’re going to be allowed to prepare for the missions, and execute them, however you seen fit. Your first objective: weaken and destroy SOKOL’s ability to enact Karminka’s plan. Second objective: correct your past failure; catch Kuznetsov and decide her fate.”

First, write a brief summary for who your spy is—race, class, etc., but be sure to include personality and modus operandi. How will your spy accomplish the mission?

Answers

Patrick: Well, this is a tall order, isn’t it? Most are in this profession. I was born into the world of Spycraft, of course, and I am a Troubleshooter. This being a fantasy, I’m physically capable, highly trained in close quarters combat, passable with a pistol but exceptionally talented with a rifle, quick-thinking and clever, and able to fake being emotionally stable… at least 60% of the time.

I remember Karminka. I let my guard down with that one. I let her get too close and before I knew it, she’d made off with the target, my heart, and my designer tux. I still need to pay her back for that long walk through the frigid morning fields with nothing but strategically placed foliage to protect my modesty. Those sightseers got more than they bargained for that day!

Karminka’s greatest weakness, I think, is arrogance. She bested me once; she assumes she can do it again and leave the Agency with a black eye in the process. She’s spent all this time and money to set up the perfect honey trap… and for once I’ll take the bait. This time, I’m the foil.

Any good spy keeps a number of situational strategies ready. I call this one “Dogpile Day.” After a loud and embarrassing failure in the field against a weapons smuggler (more on him in a moment), I come under review at the Agency. This review unearths a litany of misdeeds I’ve committed over the many years of my tenure, including dangerous alliances with foreign powers and a “retirement fund” of stolen operational funds. Overnight I’m left without a safety net, and seemingly without allies as former friends distance themselves from the latest leper at the home office.

Or so I want everyone to think. In truth, Control is in on everything, and perpetuating the lie that her mightiest has truly fallen. She’s all too happy to assume the role, given the grief I’ve subjected her to over the years. And with the news of my circumstances coming from her office, coupled with me being pushed out intot he cold and left to fend for myself, there’s no reason for anyone to suspect it’s actually a trap — least of all Karminka.

I set up shop as a mercenary, just as I would if I were suddenly cut off for real, and we let rumors spread naturally through the known moles and trusted spin doctors in the Agency. Soon enough Karminka will come looking for me, and then I’ll keep her occupied sinking the dagger between my shoulder blades while the rest of my plan unfolds elsewhere.

You see, all those people who never lived to tell of my exploits? They work for me now. I’ve spent a long career collecting strays — everyone with a bit of talent or a unique gift and a few who are embedded in organizations or places I might need help. I’ve treated them well and kept them safe and well-funded with legitimately obtained Agency funds, and in return I’ve asked that they make themselves available… just in case.

When Karminka comes calling, and she will, someone in SOKOL will undoubtedly reach out to the weapons smuggler I failed to capture. He’ll gladly agree to help Karminka with her new pet project and having someone on the inside should help me string things along. Even if no one reaches out though, I should be able to keep Karminka busy long enough for the rest of my network to close in on SOKOL’s funding.

Those diamond mines are the key. We don’t have to capture them, or even find them. All we have to do is turn the world’s buyers against them. There are shockingly few brokers who deal in jewels of this caliber, and all of them spook easily. Swap even one false gem into a delivery and they’ll never work with SOKOL again. Swap a couple across multiple brokers and the blowback will be so bad SOKOL won’t be able to offload their hoarded baubles as paperweights.

An organization SOKOL’s size won’t last long without a constant influx of cash. Elites in any specialty rate top dollar, and they’re unlikely to stick around when their meal ticket runs dry. Coordinate this with strategic raids on SOKOL fronts in several countries, and we can probably panic Karminka’s lieutenants and send them running to her side — and to the location of their doomsday weapon.

That’s when everything comes together. The Agency and my extended network move to capture the lieutenants and the weapon, and with luck we leave the organization headless and floundering. I’ll take care of Karminka myself… because nothing less will do.

It’s a bit pie in the sky and relies on a dizzying array of coincidental planning, not to mention some fuzzy timing that will almost certainly go boom once we get the op running. But that’s what good RPG plans are for, right? They’re at their most fun when they implode. Also, this one offers the GM just enough scope to showcase an evolving global story, while focusing the “action” of the session on me and his prize NPC. There’s nothing like playing to the medium.

Dustin: I have fond memories of running a one-shot two-player adventure for a friend back in high-school with a similar, albeit less sophisticated premise. I highly recommend the experience and challenge people to consider what genres work better with a single-player character. I have to confess this was the sort of adventure I had in mind when I wrote my Pathfinder (1e) kitsune phantom thief rogue. Abilities like case the joint and skills like disguise and stealth have a natural synergy with having to work alone. Bookish thief and always prepared will help fill any missing party role. That being said, it’s easy to play this sort of factotum-esque build in a functioning party without any serious mechanical adjustment. The same genres that make for great solo-adventures tend to have dynamic resolutions that reward a party having a versatile but less combat-oriented character!

Ren is an agender thief who specializes in stealing rare books. From an emperor’s diary to a lich’s grimoire, the kitsune treats the world as their library and every locked door as a challenge. They love figuring out why something was kept hidden almost as much as the knowledge itself, using the context of someone’s secrets to help them read between the lines and fully appreciate the impact of whatever it is they stole.

Using their natural shapeshifting, Ren successfully infiltrated the agency and went to work disseminating their archives. But after four months of redacted reports and missing leads, the fox found the work of their fellow agents so lacking that they went to work finishing the work of one of the bureau’s most glaring failures. Within a week they’d managed to secure evidence of a forged treaty and a signed confession from a scorned viscount, promising the agency credit if they allow Ren to join as an operative.

Karminka Kuznetsov has remained an enigmatic frustration for the otherwise accomplished spy. Even after decades of successfully unraveling any casein their way, Ren considers her case an ongoing mystery they refuse to let go. Cementing a target’s origins and motives have always been Ren’s strong suit, and Karminka’s ability to run an organization for so long is a testament to her genius. But the fox knows a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the more an organization grows, the less iron-clad it’s defenses.

The first step is undermining her weakest allies: Those who she keeps loyal only because they have a weakness. Ren’s first plan is to use their archives to uncover and deduce the blackmail Karminka is using to silence one or more world leaders. Depending on the nature of their secret, the kitsune will ply those with ties closest to one of Karminka’s diamond mines, possibly using ‘evidence’ that the villain plans on pointing their weapon at that leader’s state explicitly because their secret was so easy to uncover. Pretending to be a countryman of that land, Ren will act as a vigilante on behalf of this stooge, swearing loyalty and using their influence to infiltrate one of Karminka’s diamond mines.

Ren would first target the mine’s ledgers, curious if there are substantial amounts of spell component grade gemstones being hoarded by the organization to possibly fuel this superweapon. Sabotaging the weapon’s fuel and using it to find Karminka’s stronghold would mean having to abandon the mine altogether: Ren wouldn’t just leave the paranoid villain with any hints that there was something wrong with her precious supplies. But it might become necessary if there is no way to track any higher-ups from the mine itself, although that would be doubtful given Ren’s ability to disguise themself as specific individuals and Kuznetsov’s minions undoubtedly using lackeys for their grunt work.

Preparing fake coins to sneak into the coffers of these mercenaries would be a necessary contingency. With Kuznetsov’s plans approaching fruition, convincing the mercenaries that the would-be tyrant is looking to consolidate her personal wealth at the expense of her soon-to-be-former allies would be a powerful bargaining chip. Learning what currency the organization also allows Ren the ability to use the powerful enter image spell to track the organization while disguised as whatever ruler was stamped on the coin.

Working their disguises up the chain of command, Ren’s ultimate goal is to watch a minion speaking directly to Kuznetsov. Learning her mannerisms becomes a critical ace in their sleeve in the event they has to disguise themself as her, granting Ren unfettered access to the organization’s resources and the ability to get close enough to the arcane superweapon to sabotage the device in a way that ensures a critical failure the first time it’s used. But capturing Karminka herself requires figuring out what makes the super-villain tick, staying a step ahead of her allies and avoiding suspicion while developing a plan not to foil her ambitions, but rather providing her a means by which she can obtain her true goal. Whether this went down the path of existentialism or romance would depend entirely on the route the campaign takes. But even if conquest is her only goal, her subjection of the world’s leaders and economy proves that the world is never truly lead by faces minted on coins. True authority is the ability to choose when you exert your power without resistance, just as Ren treats the world as their own personal library.

Katrina: “I’m too old for this,” they thought, perched on the roof, looking down at their target. “Time to train a replacement; if I live through tonight that is.” They looked back through time to the girl they had been. How would they find another her?

They’d started life as one of too many daughters in a minor Taldan noble family. They had initially applied themself to their studies and actually enjoyed the sword training, becoming an adequate fencer. When they reached their teens, however, they had become increasingly resistant to the planned life their mother had determined for them. They began sneaking out at night, developing the necessary acrobatic skills to depart unseen across rooftops and ledges.

One fateful night they had crashed the wrong party, found themself challenged by a boisterous half-orc in an outlandish “pirate” hat who offered them punch and a “little something” to spice it up. Killashandra, as they had been known then, found themself in a much more honest and open conversation than they had planned. The next thing they knew, they had been granted a “temporary field commission” in the Pathfinder Society, attached to a small group of new Pathfinders and sent on a series of minor missions in Absalom to prove themself a worthy candidate for more formal training. They rose to the occasion and there followed several other missions.

Being all too human, Killashandra did not have the naturally acute senses or longevity of some. Instead, they spent years honing their skills, learning to use magic, to disguise themself and blend into almost any culture, to protect themself and defend others. They learned valuable team skills and eventually developed leadership skills as well. They became almost too effective, losing themself to the tasks at hand and disassociating from former friends and family. Eventually, they realized none but those who assigned their missions would even miss them.

Now, a world away, with decades of mostly successful operations behind them, and their own small but well-connected team backing them up, Killashandra has long operated under a different identity. using a name few know, they work to thwart the worst disasters the world has never known. They are good at what they do but the years are starting to take their toll.

“But that woman!” they quietly seethe, “That bint has to be stopped.” Having escaped justice ten years ago by putting the lives of innocents in harm’s way, Karminka Kuznetsov was like a festering sore on their soul. The woman had finessed them into a position of having to choose between pursuing her or saving children. The choice had been clear. Now it was time to complete that previous mission.

Looking down on the woman, with her authoritative manner, commanding her minions, the spy/vigilante considers their options. Tempting though it is to eliminate the enemy quickly while they have the advantage of height and surprise, the assassin’s methods have never been theirs. No, all their skills will be necessary to instead extract the woman and use her to crack wide open her organization. That will be the best way to prevent whatever diabolical plan SOKOL intends to use their super-secret arcane weapon for. Of course, they will need to capture the weapon as well as the woman.

Thankfully, there are those on their team who are better equipped than they to examine said weapon and disable it. “My skills are the ones needed now, though.” The ability to remain undetected, even when in the direct visual path of another, the ability to detect and disable traps thus avoiding alarms and capture, and most importantly for this insane plan to work, the ability to briefly traverse an insubstantial surface, are what has allowed them to penetrate so far into enemy territory and now prepare to take SOKOL’s leader by surprise. If this works, their team is ready to assist with the extraction and then the even more challenging work begins.

Over the years they have maintained and furthered the legal training their mother insisted on, so they are ready to apply that knowledge to help dismantle the money laundering and free the slaves working the diamond mines that finance SOKOL’s operations. They will need to trace those financial paths to expose the corrupt leaders in various countries that have aided and abetted. It is time to clear out the whole nest of vipers, expose them to the fresh air and sunshine and the view of the people. All while remaining unnoticed in the background of course. Retirement may be in their near future, but it is not here yet.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. Who’s your super-spy and how you thwart Kuznetsov’s evil plan? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Sebastian Rodriguez aka Sheppi or TSRodriguez or Both

I’ve been playing pen and paper RPGs since high school in 1998, first with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition and then quickly moved to 3rd in 2001. I started as a player but ended up GMing most of the time. I played Pathfinder 1e for the first time in college, after a 3-year hiatus from those kinds of games. After getting my first gig working for Paizo a couple of years ago, I became obsessed with the game and the stories in Golarion. Now I play weekly; I have finished a couple of APs, and we have a tiny, small lodge for Society in my house. Currently I’m playing Iron Gods in PF2, Reign of Winter, Shattered Star and my 2nd run of Wrath of the Righteous.

I’m an architect from Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, but I worked as an architect for a little less than a year. Now I’m a full-time freelance artist since the year 2016 working for Paizo and other companies. I did the characters for Know Direction’s Adventurous and Roll for Combat podcasts.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Crystal Frasier aka AmazonChique

I’m a writer and game designer who’s been tinkering with fan designs since high school. What started with a love of the Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG has blossomed into a career writing for companies like Green Ronin, Paizo Publishing, and Wizards of the Coast. While I love writing, most of my time is spent in my day job as maid and personal assistant to two corgis.
Fan: Dom Ellis

I am 30 years old, and I was born and raised in London but moved to New Zealand in 2018 with my wife, who is an Indian-kiwi. We recently got a dog, who thinks she is a cat, and we have plans in future to spend time in the USA where her parents live before deciding where to settle.

I’ve been roleplaying for the vast majority of my life. My first introduction to roleplaying was Advanced D&D which I found at a friend’s house when I was six. Then my mum found me a Shadowrun core book from a charity shop, because “she liked the pictures” and it was great. I remember reading third D&D edition books borrowed from the library when I was on my way to work on a construction site when I was 16, and I haven’t stopped devouring RPG books since.

My main gaming has been PbP on a couple of Alternate History forums that I help moderate; if you enjoy Alternate History, check out SeaLionPress.co.uk, who are a small publisher started by a couple of friends of mine! That along with soccer are my main hobbies beyond TTRPGs.

Today’s Question

“Everyone was once a child or still is one, and all children grow up in a culture of stories. Some stories are new, some are classics from bygone generations, and some might even be tales as old as time. These beloved stories shape our understanding of the world in our formative years and maintain a place in our hearts forever. After we’re no longer children, and instead watching our own young ones grow, these are the stories we choose to share with them. But, do they have to remain in the realm of children? Can we take these characters and adventures that we grew up with and apply them to our favorite pastime? Can Snow White lead a hardened squad of Battle Dwarves against the undead armies of her wicked stepmother?”

What is one of your favorite stories/movies/books that you grew up with as a kid? If you were to adapt that story and those characters into an adventure for a roleplaying table, what would happen to that story and those characters? How would the plot adapt and unfold in a new context that encourages lethality?

Answers

Sheppi: If I had to choose from a story from my childhood, it would be the anime SDF Macross (Robotech for us in the Americas). I think it encapsulates a lot of my favorite subjects: aircraft/mechas, old forgotten lore, epic dramatic battles, and a dash of tragedy. I also love the combination of music + cinematics, and I think that is what makes that particular anime so special.

If I would ever adapt the story for a tabletop campaign, I would tone down the “modern technology” and would go with a more Nausicaa aesthetic. Even though It might sound incoherent, I would not choose to play it on Starfinder; I would use the rules from Pathfinder 2e, and I would go for a more organic feel to the giant mecha fantasy—a bit like the anime “Vision of Escaflowne”. I think that the core of the Macross is the mechas plus the music in the background and how culture and music can defeat a superior force.

To represent the Zentradi, the invading space aliens from the anime, I would use the Giants from the Bestiary as a template, but instead of clubs and rocks, they would use giant war constructs as mechas sort of like a Golem with a pilot. I would make those constructs give a level upgrade to their original giant and access to weapons based on the series: Blasters. In any case that they are encountered without their mecha, they can still provide some challenge, minor, but still noticeable.

These constructs—Alien Mechas, Regults; Glaugs; and Queadluun-Raus— would have different levels according to their importance and the story in itself, using the monster building tools from the Game-Mastering guide.

Players would also use giant mechas that also augment their abilities. That would be the real “character level” of the character, his mecha would level up as a fighter or ranger or rogue, etc, and the spells would become the “modern” weapons modified based on the spell in question (Magic Missile could be a literal homing missile that cannot miss). Obviously some effects would be massively more magical than in the anime, but I think it fits the narrative like how each group should have a Bard that would be the group’s “singer,” and his role would be to weaken the opposition while empowering his own group.

Using the base math and modularity of the PF2 system, I think it would make a really unique and playable experience. The whole balance of combat would be based on the mechas, the characters would have all their mental stats, for roleplaying effects, but their physical might would be represented by his mecha, so they feel powerless if encountering a giant alien alone with no weapons. The enemies should be hard, harder than normal, to represent the fact that they need a singer to win. That comes in play really well into my style of GMing, because I’m quite fond of using music in the session, but not as a typical background soundtrack, instead as a climax of certain situations while doing little cinematics based on specific songs that fit that specific moment (I’m quite the music fan). I actually used a song from the Robotech Soundtrack in a session of Iron Gods, in a flashback of a dead pilot of the crashed spaceship in Book 2.

Every character would be a piece of the classic anime’s cast: a couple of pilots, a singer, and maybe a commander who interacts in battle using only the giant mothership—a good opportunity to use the “Marshal Archetype” from the upcoming Advanced Player’s Guide—but I would let the story flow like a normal game. No story can survive the intervention of dedicated players or the will of the dice. And, if a player dies, then it better represents the nature of the whole series.

Crystal Frasier: I loved a lot of weird fantasy books as a kid—Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Last Unicorn, the Oz series—and I already pull from all of them for a lot of my game design ideas. It’s no accident that Taldor is home the Wheelers now. So I guess it’s cheating to lean on any of the obvious choices.

So instead, let’s talk about my love of Disney princesses!

The official “Disney Princess” franchise as such didn’t exist when I was a kid, but I was in love with Disney animated features and dreamed of being a princess. My favorites were Ariel, Jasmine, and Aurora, but almost any Disney feature with a heroine kept me engrossed because they shared a lot of universal themes: overbearing parents, a need to explore, supportive friends, and ominous, charismatic, queer-coded villains who stole the spotlight.

So we can adapt a lot of those to an ur-princess adventure.

The adventure ideally begins after a period of downtime of indulging in a patron’s generosity, maybe even imposing some temporary penalties on the heroes to represent their coddled living. The patron can play the role of doting father, becoming so enamored with the heroes and their past deeds that he doesn’t want them out adventuring. Maybe he’s grown genuinely fond of them, or maybe he just loves the prestige of having legendary houseguests. Either way, they’re heroes now, dammit, they put in their time. They should stay with him and let someone else handle the new growing crisis in the world! He’s even editing what news of the outside world they receive. As far as our coddled heroes know, they’re living their cozy, comfy, boring happily-ever-after.

The only interesting thing to happen is a brief encounter with lovable rogues who try to break into the estate—times are getting tight out on the street and they’re stealing food. Ostensibly for themselves, but these are lovable rogues so we all know they’ll be giving that food to the first adorable moppets they see.

Then the talking animals arrive.

The fey know something is wrong—but not what—and dispatch awakened animals to find powerful heroes. While the patron can block ordinary news sources, he can’t stop talking robins and musically-inclined mice. They ask the heroes to abandon their oppressively coddled life and save the world. Escape is a difficult prospect thanks to well-armed guards and various security features that make the patron’s estate into a reverse dungeon the heroes need to escape.

Once the heroes escape, they find quick assistance from a friendly new ally who fills them in on the detail: Their patron is the villain behind the growing unrest, and his powerful magic can only be stopped with a quest for a unique magical bauble. The patron dispatches guards to “rescue” the escaped heroes, and their new ally aids their escape.

Anyone familiar with the princess formula already realizes their new ally is the true villain. Odds are the heroes do, too. Reward them if they play along.

The heroes’ new adventure leads them to once again cross paths of the same lovable rogues they met earlier. While their morality seems selfish, it teeters on the edge of genuine goodness if only they get a little encouragement.

Ultimately, the heroes’ adventure to retrieve the magical bauble leaves a magical artifact in the villain’s hand, or grants them the keys to the kingdom, or releases their more powerful master. How the villain ends up a powerful threat doesn’t matter. What matters is that the heroes can defeat it with the power of love and friendship, and also an unlikely stabbing, provided by the friends they made along the way.

Dom: 1) Rescue the ‘Princess’ Handmaiden’ from Corrupt Guard/Thieves Guild and return her to the palace.

2) Explore the Cave of Wonders Dungeon which will have Treasure Golems and animated object enemies primarily, but also traps and maybe add some tribe of people or goblins or such who previously got caught in there?

3) After the lamp is nicked, the Party needs to organize a ‘rebellion’ to take the city back from a newly empowered Dark Wizard who has a Marid minion

As a kid, like many people, I watched Disney movies. My favourite was always Aladdin. The magic and high fantasy combined with the humour and “street rat makes good” story have done a lot to inform the styles of roleplaying I like to engage in both as a player and a GM. There was always something exciting happening, and our eponymous hero always had a smart word to say in reply to his dastardly foes.

The plot starts with our heroes down on their luck, trying to scrape a living – remembering that they will not likely be a party of Rogues*, but one of more ‘legitimate’ adventurers. They are introduced to a woman asking them for help; a handmaiden to a princess being chased by the corrupt City Guard. The party must escort her to safety – no doubt getting into scraps and having to succeed at skills challenges. This gives plenty of opportunity for the party to get to know the woman, and learn she is a princess. She thanks them and sends them on their way when safe at the palace.

So far so simple.

The party are then captured by higher level guardsmen for “breaking the peace” and brought to the palace, where they meet the king’s advisor who at first glance seems an arrogant man but quickly becomes friendly to the party. He says that instead of imprisoning the party, he will let them free if they explore a Cave of Wonders, an important mission for the security of the Kingdom to recover a powerful artefact.

The Cave of Wonders in the movie is very much skipped over, but I can see this made into a fantastic fun and dangerous dungeon crawl. Remove the rule saying they can’t touch anything and simply ask that they retrieve The Lamp. Fill the Cave of Wonders with goblins, treasure golems and elementals who have made their way into the dungeon for the express purpose of troubling the party and throw in a few magic items, like a Carpet of Flying!

The party find a lamp and return it to the Vizier before promptly being thrown back into the Cave. The Vizier, who turns out to be a powerful Wizard uses the power of the Lamp to summon a Marid under his control, and he uses this to help take over the city and imprison the rightful rulers.

The party will be required to fight an urban insurrection against a Powerful Wizard – who has forced their friend, the Princess, to marry him after murdering her father – and his corrupt guards, sneak back into the palace and battle first the Marid of the Lamp, and then the Vizier to save the kingdom, and finally free the powerful Marid so that it can never be used in such a way again.

But not before a catchy dance number.

*Aladdin may be a Rogue at first glance, but he has a animal companion, so Ranger may be worth a closer look!

I’ve heard from my guests; now I want to hear from you. How would you adapt one of your childhood stories into an adventure? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Art belongs to giusynuno.

You can find them here: https://www.deviantart.com/giusynuno

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Rachel Ventura aka The Politician

I’m the Business Director for Legendary Games and occasionally do some freelance writing. In 2015, I was a Guest of Honor Industry Insider for Gen Con. In 2018 my debut adventure, A Feast of Flavor, was ENnie nominated for the Best Family Product. I’ve been gaming since the mid-80s. I am a woman of many talents anywhere from training wolves for movies to teaching scrapbooking at Gen Con for SPA events. I am elected as a County Board member in Will County, IL, and in 2020 I ran for US Congress.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Monica Marlowe aka MamaUrsula

I started role playing when I was old enough to go to school and LARP/play “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” with my friends at school and in our yard. While there were no rules then, I did graduate to D&D Redbox at the age of 14, which my brother and I learned after some boys told me that girls weren’t allowed to play D&D. I have since gone on to win Paizo’s 2015 RPG Superstar contest, publish for several 3PP, co-found Marlowe House Games with my husband Andrew, which includes a Friday night actual play live broadcast, co-run a successful charity gaming convention during the pandemic named IsolaCon, and still manage to hold down a job as a Registered Nurse after leaving my career as a microbiologist. Take that 14-year old boys!

Fan: Ivis K. Flanagan aka NorthernDreamer

I’ve always loved RPGs, though I didn’t start playing tabletop until about 5 years ago when some friends assured me that it was something girls could do too. Since then, I dove in headfirst, becoming a Venture Officer for Org. Play, earning my 5th star in Pathfinder first edition, and working on a few freelance writing projects. Outside of gaming, you are likely to find me in my classroom or doing something that includes Disney – I’m a huge fan and tend to wear it on my arm.

Today’s Question

“It’s time to put pen to paper, or more likely, it’s time to press keys on the keyboard. Your boss gave you a deadline and its growing closer every day. Writer’s block be damned, you have to submit something. After a stressful day at work, you decide to kick back and relax with your favorite piece of media tonight so that you’ll be suitably ready to start getting this project off your plate first thing tomorrow. Fortunately, as the evening’s chosen entertainment unfolds, a spark of inspiration presents itself. These characters aren’t your favorites without good reason. You enjoy them because they were conceived by ideas that were good, and because they are well-written. You feel like you could use some of the concepts from this medium to help you begin your project tomorrow, and you think you have some ideas to help make your product unique enough as to not feel uninspired. After a nice evening and a nice sleep, you awake the next morning feeling ready to get started.”

Pick one of your favorite characters or one of your favorite settings. What is it and why? If you had to write a new base class based on that character or setting, what kinds of things would that class do that is different than one of the other existing base classes?

Answers

Rachel: “The third star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.” That’s where you’ll find this class of lost boys. Embolden with the power to fly, these young child-like warriors are proficient in martial arts, traps, and ranged attacks. This class has a unique ability to turn simple objects into powerful weapons including pinecones, rocks, feathers, and shells. Objects stolen from human babies such as teddy bears, lockets, baby blankets are magically altered to deliver healing similar to a cure light wounds spell once per day after spending time thinking of their mothers. They gain the ability of uncanny dodge as they level up. This class speaks common, crocodile, mermaid, and ferry but at higher levels has the ability to persuade and even control. This class never ages as long as they are in the midst of ferries or use ferry dust.

Neverland is not the fairytale island one would be led to believe. Sure, a series of underground tunnels that connected several areas and camps the Lost Boys control makes the island easier to traverse especially when accessing areas like the Indian lair, docks, and mermaid cove. But dangerous creatures keep the lost boys on their feet when they aren’t battling or playing with the other inhabitants like the pirates, Indians, merfolk, and ferries. This setting is ripe for high sea adventures, wilderness crawls, swamp battles, and treetop attacks.

Monica: One of my favorite classes has always been the cleric; as a nurse who’s a bit of a hot head, being able to heal and bust in heads has long been a career path goal of mine. I have played many, MANY clerics, but one of my favorites was my D&D 3.5 The Shackled City cleric. Just a warning, this was one tricked out cleric. We only had three players at the time and as you may recall, the adventure called for six. But we really wanted to play it (and it was well worth playing), so our GM (Andrew) decided we would play gestalt characters. That meant that with the benefit of setting specific bonus traits, two classes, and the use of a Prestige class, I played a half-dwarf, half-black dragon, cleric/(black) dragon-blooded sorcerer gestalt with Mystic Theurge added in at level 10, which meant I hit Level 20 in Cleric, Sorcerer, and Mystic Theurge Level 10. The other two players had fighter boss and rogue/trickster vibes. It was one amazing and yet incredibly min-max-o-matic. Andrew even took a dwarven mini with a forehead detail that he built up a little to look like black dragon horn roots on her head when he painted her for me. I love that mini so much.

Now we no longer play D&D 3.5 and we have a respectable five players at our table which means we no longer need to make the craziest characters ever. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t miss some of the more flexible spell choices I had when I could pull from all the lists. Which is where the third part of this story begins.

I play a lot of Cypher System games now due to our actual play live stream, it’s a lot easier for us to be descriptive of what we’re doing than trying to figure out how to hang a camera from the ceiling or otherwise have a usable map. The narrative nature of Cypher System means that your characters have abilities that they can do, similar to feats but also like spells. There are also methods to heal characters, which can but don’t require any special training or skills, because every skill related action can be done without training, you’re just not very good at it. But what I really miss is being able to turn undead and channel positive (or negative) energy. In a system where everything you can imagine can exist, there are methods to deal with spirits like a medium (Shepherds Spirits foci) and ways to enslave them like necromancers (Consorts with the Dead foci), but there’s just no way to shoo them along so you can do what you came to do, which it likely to discover something interesting. I want an Adept (“magic user” type) ability that allows the player to tap into the magical element of the setting, whether Numenera, science, or magic, that could send the undead on their way to the afterlife or at least the next room with no desire to return for about an hour, surely you can clear a room in a hour, right?

The reason I enjoy character creation in Cypher System is because of the vast options that you can choose from and plug into a more finely tuned image of the character you wish to portray. For a classic D&D cleric build choose any descriptor (clever, mystic, stealthy, tough) and partner it with Adept, through which you take the new “Channel energy” or focus energy, and then take a foci that supports the cleric traits you like, for example “Works Miracles” is a high healing foci, “Metes Out Justice” for a LG/Paladinesque cleric, “Never Says Die” is the battlefield tank/healer if you include area of effect healing in your channel energy abilities, or “Shepherds Spirits” for a mystical cleric medium.

Ivis: When I need to just do something that pulls my attention away from my stresses, one of my favorite things to do is get lost in a video game. I love JRPGs, with one of my favorites being Kingdom Hearts as it takes many of my favorite things and throws them into a blender giving back a near-perfect smoothie of a game. One of the main characters throughout the story of Kingdom Hearts is Kairi. Introduced as a Princess in the first game, she evolves into a competent warrior by the third main game in the series. The thing that sets her apart from many of the others is her ability to harness her emotions and use them as she protects others around her. While this emotional drive is something that you don’t see as the driving force for the focus in RPG classes, I think that it easily could be.

This would be a support class, more reactive than anything else. Like a Barbarian’s Rage, they would be able to harness the emotion of a situation to empower what they can do to help their allies. For example, they could harness Love to increase their healing ability, or Surprise to give those around them a bonus to their initiative. Each emotion would have spells or abilities is would empower, as well as spells or abilities that would be weaker or locked until that emotion cooled down; for example, Joy would shut down Sadness, and Anger would shut down Fear. Just as normal emotions don’t flip every six seconds, these would have a recharge frame, and the benefits and banes would last until that cooldown is over. As the character levels, they could choose to dabble in the abilities from other emotions or work to master the ones that they already focus on, and their growth abilities would progress based on those choices.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What’s setting would you draw inspiration from to make a new class? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Alistair Rigg

I’m a freelance designer, developer, and editor published by Kobold Press, Frog God Games, Legendary Games, and Paizo. My recent projects include the Gamemastery Guide and Bestiary 2 for Pathfinder 2nd edition, and The Book in the Old House, the opening chapter of Greg Vaughan’s superb Aegis of Empires Adventure Path which is currently smashing through the stretch goals of its fully-funded Kickstarter. I’m also a Venture-Captain for the Organized Play Foundation here in the San Francisco Bay Area where my day job is data security product management for a global software company.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Rob Pontious (@silentinfinity)

Hello my fine family and friends!  I’m Rob or silentinfinity! I’m a lover of TTRPGs starting way back with D&D 1st Ed and now Pathfinder and the World of Darkness. I DM/GM/Storytell more than I plays, but I love crafting a story whether for a world or a character, and enjoying the collaborative nature of the game.  I’m a member of Order of the Amber Die, play the uncanny Ateran in Roll for Combat’s Three Ring Adventure, and am that tall guy you met at a convention. I’m a resident of Rhode Island and a football fan, working in web commerce by day and enjoying writing and gaming as a creative outlet by night.  I look forward to gathering friends again for board games, love RPG video games (Dragon Age!), card games, and I’ve even done a little LARPing in my time.  I’m a GAYMER and so very appreciate of the wide community embracing one another!  I love meeting new people, and I’m ever eager to celebrate them and their interests.  My motto is work hard, play harder!

Fan: Madison aka Nadaene_13

After a fateful meeting with The DovahQueen in January of 2019, my journey into the world of RPGs began. I have mainly played 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, but I have delved into 2nd Edition Pathfinder as well. In May, I graduated Indiana University Southeast with my BS in Biology, and I plan on attending graduate school for Ecology.

Today’s Question

“Trouble stirs in the land. Far to the west, two rival kingdoms, The Orclands and the Deathmarshes, are considering an alliance against your homeland. Fortunately, you’re known as somewhat of a local hero for your previous exploits, and your queen has thusly summoned you. When you arrive at the castle, you’re quickly ushered into a large meeting room with a long wooden table. At its head, Queen Sivrunn sits flanked by a score of diplomats and military commanders. You’re asked to have a seat and join the conversation about the actions the country should take. It is decided that a rider should be sent to Elmdale, a potential ally, to request their support.  Because Elmdale is very near to the Deathmarshes and enemy spies are likely everywhere, the rider will travel alone to attract less attention. Both the danger and the importance of this mission cannot be understated. For this reason, you will be the rider. Queen Sivrunn has ordered the court wizards and royal huntsmen to work together in order to secure for you whichever mount you see fit for the journey. Name a beast, and it shall be broken and trained as your loyal mount without fail.”

Pick one of your characters to serve as the rider. Who is it; describe your character. When given the opportunity to pick any monster or beast, and it will serve as a loyal mount, what do you pick and why? Lastly, give your mount a name.

Answers

Alistair: “’Somewhat’ of a local hero?” thunders the dashingly handsome half-orc cavalier as he saunters into the royal meeting room, frothing tankard in one gauntleted fist. “’Somewhat!?’” he growls, glaring at the assembled dignitaries one by one, daring them to explain the casual slur before finally resting his gaze on his queen and winking as he slumps into his seat, the spikes of his gleaming full plate scoring deep gouges in its polished woodwork.

“I would impale the lot of you on my lance were there no chance it could be misinterpreted as an act of frustrated love for you!” he growls before taking a long pull from his tankard and slamming it back down, eyes fixed on the queen with a knowing look before addressing her assembly.

“So, you’re still worried about these savages and swampers, eh? And you need someone to ride to enlist Elmdale’s aid against them? And the so-called court wizards,” he sneers, “will help the royal huntsmen to secure whichever mount I desire?

“Well, firstly, you seem confident that these magicians are able to ensnare and subdue any mount I desire and yet they are incapable of teleportation, or scrying, or conducting even remote communication with our so-called allies? What have they been doing with their time? What sort of arcane service do we have? Which of you buffoons have been serving our Queen so poorly?

“These questions shall be answered, but if I must choose, then you seem to expect me to muse on the various qualities of mounts, relative to the terrain and the need for speed and stealth? Mounts that will also be able to fight well and withstand the inevitable ambushes or ‘chance encounters’ I will face through intelligence doubtlessly seeded to our enemies from the spy or betrayer likely among us here? An infiltrator, I assure you, whose head shall adorn these walls before too long.

“Clearly, there is no need for such musing for the answer is clear. My mount must be Crescenzina, the Submerged Sky, who lairs in the underwater grottoes of the western riverine delta. Her powerful wings will carry me swiftly through the clouds to Elmdale, out of sight and range of our enemies, but if we encounter unexpected aerial opposition that even our combined might cannot face, we can also slither beneath the pools and waterways at the borders of the Deathmarshes themselves. And at our destination her magnificence and eloquence will be sure to enhance my own unparalleled diplomatic credentials. Yes, it is clear; Crescenzina is our solution. So make haste, feckless arcanists. I do hope your studies have included spells to allow you to swim well and to breathe water. And when you encounter the youngster, let her know that Suttung is calling in his favor and that we serve the Queen herself.”

And with that, the legendary cavalier Suttung, rises to his feet, his chair clattering backwards to the stone floor as he rounds the table and kneels before Sivrunn.

“My Queen,” he purrs, kissing the back of her outstretched hand and fixing her with a sly gaze. “Until Crescenzina arrives, you may find me in my chambers…”

In the small hours of the following day—the wizards and huntsmen having already been sent forth to beg for a young bronze dragon’s aid that will never come for, as Suttung well knows, she no longer can be found in the grottoes of the western riverine delta and the favor has already been repaid—his royal service both completed and yet about to begin, he rides forth to Elmdale under cover of darkness on his trusty stallion, Jolly Roger. For how could he even contemplate leaving his loyal companion behind when adventure beckons and there are still so many wild oats for them both to sow along the way.

Rob: Our rider this fine evening – because a dusky ride in so in line with our rider – is Ateran, a Witch of Curses and my character at Roll for Combat.  They are non-binary, of dark hair and violet eyes, and ever so much fun to play.  I’ve never played a character like them and it’s proven both a joy and a challenge.  I was inspired by a few people from my football team and the amazingly inventive Aki of Knights of Everflame (@MxGiniInABottle) as I considered Ateran’s history, which is slowly revealing itself as the Three Ring Circus proceeds.  Ateran’s occult practices and shrewd gazes have proven a benefit as has their cauldron cooking and crafty ways.

Ateran would lean back from the long wooden table and glance to their shoulder where a raven of blue midnight feathers rests.  After a few moments Ateran would nod their head, “I request a dragon that roams beyond our world, a vast explorer of multiple worlds though one I’ve heard studies the people of their diverse visitations.  Crowned in spines and mottled in the deep blue and violet of a midnight moon’s horizon, the lunar dragon shall be my mount.”

At this the royal huntsmen of Elmdale laugh, looking amusedly to their compatriots the court wizards.  A dragon?  Let alone one that flies beyond this world?  The wizards too chuckle, nervous and not as amused at this joke the so-called hero has made.  But Ateran nods, smiling as their gaze locks one by one onto each person around the table.

They know the Lunar Dragon is not some foolish, easily broken beast.  Nor do they expect the wizards can simply summon it into binding to do their will.  No, Ateran is certain the dragon will require compensation for its hoard but with diplomacy too shall its interest and assistance be acquired.  A deal shall be broken and Ateran hopes they personally can be trained to assist this envoy of the moon and stars beyond.

The Lunar Dragon will be more than a mount but an ally able to lead them safely into space to bypass the danger of the Deathmarshes, though should any spy or creature be present upon their arrival back to land they will surely have strong wills or dangers to contend with.  Ateran would encourage and support any attempt at diplomacy the dragon – indeed known for studying the people of a planet – might wish to make.  Ateran encourages diplomacy and a warning before violence after all.  Considering the Lunar Dragon likely sees a planet’s varying creatures as one people of many differences, Ateran expects some alignment on this approach.  However, the dragon is also known for devastating strength and delivering a blast of cold from the darkest reaches of the void, able to chill and bewilder anyone or anything.  Sometimes a strong threat encourages diplomacy after all and that is a promise Ateran encourages.

With overtures of treasure though a promise of servitude in return, Ateran is ever pleased to ally with the Lunar Dragon Azaltamahryym even if the court wizards fear its betrayal and the royal huntsmen know well they cannot stop such a beast.  The Queen Sivrunn is wise, making a noble’s bow to the creature and thanking Ateran for their willingness to train as the dragon’s servant so that they might be the dragon’s rider.  Together they’ll journey into space and make certain a truce with the people of Elmdale, and hopefully any others that should dare to face them.  Azaltamahryym has already made clear the task afterward:  find her mate Rezallian who has long been absent from her side.

Madison: Elis’ Nadaene Poltarry is a moon elf, who identifies with the Circle of the Moon as a druid. Her height does not standout when in a crowd of other elves. Nadaene’s body is rather slim from years in the deep forests to learn her craft. Long, slightly curled auburn hair flows down her back, and it is a characteristic trait for the women from her bloodline. She has a small-single braid amidst her thick waves with two feathers attached, one from her deceased griffin and the other from a friend’s brown-hued owl. She wears an elk hide armor vest over a vibrant navy-blue blouse with intricate silver details. The pants are also elk hide, but she has a knife sheath attached to her right hip, the other hip holds her first aid pack. Her walnut-hued boots rise to the tops of her calves. Resting on the walnut-hued hooded cloak, a longbow weaved from walnut tree branches can be found on her back. Her right ring finger sports a silver ring with her family’s crest on the front: a griffin. Nadaene’s expression remains haughty and disinterested.

The chosen hero is descended from a long line of powerful elves that have ridden majestic, silver griffins throughout their history. These important mounts are even the crest of the Poltarry family! In Queen Sivrunn’s time of need, Nadaene will follow in her ancestor’s footsteps and mount a griffin for this dangerous mission. Massive wings will be capable of flying high above enemy lines with little detection. The slender feline-like frame will be used to duck between the thicket of tree limbs throughout the forest to Elmdale. If confronted by an enemy, the large claws and beak of the griffin can easily protect the rider, while she works her magic. Nadaene’s experience with griffins from her time on familial ground will only ensure the success of this journey with this mount.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What would your rider mount for a dangerous mission? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Art belongs to Siplick on Deviant Art.

You can find it here.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Lar deSouza/lartist/uncalar

I grew up playing board games with my family, and I was introduced to RPGs with AD&D back in high school (I’m an old).  While I haven’t had much time or opportunity to play over the years, I’ve dabbled in Pathfinder,  Starfinder and newer DND editions. Most recently, I’ve been able to put that love for RPGs on display with work done for SJGames in a few of their Munchkin properties.

I draw a lot.

My wife and I fund raise annually for the MS Society of Canada. We have a dear friend who has been surviving with MS for decades. I draw custom cartoons for donations. Like the villager on the path who gives a tiny bit of aid to the hero. I can’t fix the world but I can try to make those around me feel their burden a little less.
https://secure3.convio.net/mssoc/site/TR/Walk/OntarioDivision?px=1311511&pg=personal&fr_id=6861

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Andrew Marlowe aka Pestilence, GM Bedlam, and Founder of IsolaCon

In the summer of 1983, I was introduced to the D&D Red Box and I was hooked. So, for the last 37 years, I’ve been playing and tinkering with RPGs. In 2014, I officially became a paid freelance game designer, and in 2016 I joined Know Direction as a blogger. Together with my wife, Monica, we have created Marlowe House our own outlet for our gaming creativity. Currently, that’s predominantly only two streams a week but we plan to begin publishing soon. Together we are also raising two wonderful young adults.

Fan: Anthony Adam aka TemplateFu

I’ve been playing games since Chainmail and DnD, before it had numbers or Editions. I used to partake in every season of Paizo’s RPG Superstar resulting in my review alias of TemplateFu. I suffer from Asperger’s: a condition that makes it difficult to read body language and respond appropriately, which means friendships are hard to come by—people you meet tend to think there is something off about you, or that you are weird and unlikeable. This is why I find RPGs such a life-line; everyone around the table is always saying what the characters are doing and how they are feeling, allowing me to feel included and at ease.

Today’s Question

“In fiction, heroes are a dime a dozen, and they’re easy to recognize. They might wield steel swords in defense of their kingdom or pilot dangerous vessels to protect their loved ones in the deep of space. These heroes risk their lives by endangering themselves in front of tooth and claw, laser beams, and crime-ridden streets. You might recognize them by their well-known costumes, deeds, or armaments. But…not all heroes wear capes. In the modern day, there isn’t much use for a swashbuckling adventurer to save a helpless populous. Currently, real world heroes risk their lives or dedicate their time to more mundane, yet no less important, causes. They might get paid to run into burning buildings to save grandmothers. Perhaps they never miss a shift at the local homeless shelter. Heroes today come in all shapes and sizes, and they champion all manners of causes.”

What makes a modern day hero? Use someone you know in real life as an example if possible. Additionally, you three guests were selected for your work with a charity. What is your charity and what does it do? How can everyday people help that cause?

Answers

Lar: What makes a real life hero?

Hero is a word we throw around lightly for people we admire. In fiction, we have the classic arc of the Quest where a Hero experiences growth and revelation. It’s a shame real life doesn’t enjoy the same narrative. For me, a real-life hero is far less glamorous but no less impressive. Unfortunately, those who choose the heroic path are often invisible because they are taken for granted. Choosing a life of service to others is, for me, a real marker that someone is a potential hero. That could be politics, the military, medical fields, personal guidance counseling, law enforcement—so many choices are on the path of a hero.  Even a parent’s choice to care for their family is a mark of heroism. I don’t mean to cheapen the definition, but hopefully instead to underscore how important I consider all these people. As a child of immigrants, I consider my parents heroes to move four children (ages 6,5,3 & <1) from Guyana to Canada in the early sixties to establish a life here for us. (I was born about a year after they arrived).

But heroic acts do not necessarily make a HERO! People are not flawless, and Real Life doesn’t have tidy story arcs so often things depend upon the moment. Possibly the best mark of a Hero is their legacy. The changes to lives left behind after they are out of the spotlight or after their work is done. I think the best I can do is to laud the work of the heroic acts of others and let history decide who gets the capitalized designations. While we all see and admire people like Greta Thunberg for her passion and initiative, or Ruth Bader-Ginsberg for her fierce work for the US Justice System, I think my nominations for hero are the quieter ones, whose ripples may never be fully appreciated. The teachers who make a difference, the doctors and researchers who advance life-saving therapies and cures, and the soldiers, law enforcement, firefighters, etc. who put their lives physically in danger for others. I’d rather live in a world populated by everyday heroes than wait for a Chosen One.

My wife and I fundraise annually for the MS Society of Canada. We have a dear friend who has been surviving with MS for decades. I draw custom cartoons for donations. Like the villager on the path who gives a tiny bit of aid to the hero. I can’t fix the world, but I can try to make those around me feel their burden a little less.

Andrew: Modern day heroes take many forms and I don’t mean the brightly colored costumed variety of the comic book movies. Rather, I meant the first responders (police, fire, EMTs, doctors, nurses) who put their lives on the line, but I also mean teachers, counselors, and social workers. In this time of pandemic even store clerks and cashiers can be heroes. Heroes see a need and step up even if it puts them at physical, societal, or even financial risk.

My late father practiced a quiet sort of heroism.  From the time I was very small, I remember him reaching out to others and offering a hand up. Even though I didn’t always recognize then what I was seeing, it left an impression on me.

I remember the little things most, in restaurants he’d craft origami cranes from the paper placemats for fussy children at nearby tables. Bringing joy to the kids but also easing the potential embarrassment of the parents. When I look back on it now the cranes seemed to say, “it’s okay. I get it. I’m a parent too.” As I grew older I could see the more immediate and concrete ways he reached out. We were never rich, but he owned his own business and we were fairly comfortable. My dad never hesitated to share what we had with those less fortunate. Whether it was housing and mentoring a young artist, employing and feeding a local homeless man until the man could get back on his feet, propping up a friend’s business, or helping to pay for another person’s dental surgery. Even now, a decade after his passing, those people whose lives he touched will occasionally reach out and remind me how special he was. Often, I learn about another small act of kindness I’d no idea he’d performed.

I’m not in the comfortable financial situation my parents were in for large portions of my childhood but I try occasionally to follow his example. A month ago, as the stay-at-home orders began to roll out nationwide and the bad industry news piled up day-by-day, I decided we’d run a charity stream to benefit the RPG Creators Relief Fund (or RCRF). Before I had a chance to think, a couple of weekend streams turned into a full on virtual convention we dubbed IsolaCon (for Isolation Con). In a mere three weeks, we garnered tremendous industry and fan support running about 30 events and raising well over three thousand dollars for the RCRF.

The RCRF is a charity dedicated to helping anyone who is involved in the RPG industry (from artists, designers, editors, cartographers, etc.) who find themselves in hard financial straits to keep creating. Over 90% of the charitable donations to the RCRF go directly to RPG Creators in the form of grants. The remaining totals go to business filing fees, website upkeep, etc. The RCRF is run entirely by volunteers so they have no employees and don’t pay out salaries to make sure each donated dollar goes as far as it possibly can.

This is a charity I admire and respect  so it was a no brainer that this was the charity I wanted to raise money for when we began planning IsolaCon. The success we had this year has inspired us to do it again, but next year we’ll take more time to plan and coordinate the event. So look for IsolaCon to return in 2021 on Febuary 5^th, 6^th and  7^th.  For more information and updates like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/isolacon).

Anthony: I was asked by Ryan to be part of this talk about real life heroes because of a charity project I recently proposed and passed to the publisher Legendary Games. I don’t particularly think of myself as heroic in any way—I’m an ordinary guy trying to do his bit during the Covid-19 crisis and wanting to support his highly valued friends both near and far. I proposed and produced a cookbook of recipes using everyday ingredients to help make supplies last longer and go further, and to raise money for healthcare centers, support personnel, and for those truly suffering the effects of lockdown and lack of income.

So, how did this all start? I was sitting at home reading my social media posts from friends and I noticed the trend of people both locally, and in the US, having trouble sourcing basic essentials and struggling to keep their families safe and sane and well provided for. At lot of these are friends I had made when attending Paizocon 9 and 10 in Seattle—my first time in over 50 years going alone to a foreign country and mixing socially with such a large crowd. It was very intimidating and scary. The Paizo staff, and other publishers there were incredible, taking me under their wing and really caring about the people coming to see them at their convention. Games designers, gamers, and all of the staff made me feel safe and welcome. My social network of friends went from 20 to over 100 in just 3 days.

Now, years later, I realized I missed these people dreadfully, and I dearly wanted to help these friends so far away. I remembered cooking for Owen K Stephens, his wife, and some of their friends during my second visit to Seattle. So naturally, I thought of a cookbook—not with fancy recipes—one from a community full of home, love, caring, and recipes that are fun and easy to source with food saving tips. Through this medium, I would be able to support all of my friends remotely. It’s like a virtual hug to them all.

Then I realized it could be used at the same time to raise funds to support essential workers and services everywhere, and to help those hit the hardest by lockdown. I asked Rachel Ventura if she thought it would be something a publisher might be interested in supporting and publishing such an endeavor, and that I would give my time for free to maximize the money that could be raised. The answer was a resounding yes, and so the next day, I was asking everyone through Facebook and messenger for recipes, and these amazing people, struggling every day like we all are, came forth magnificently. So, this pipedream now exists, Cooking Thru Lockdown, containing home recipes and tips from around the world including some my own. The whole process went from that query to submitting the manuscript in just 7 calendar days. We really wanted fast turnaround to get the book out for when it could provide the most help.

I cannot, at the time of writing this, give you a link to the product yet;  the book is currently in layout. Hopefully, it will be available from Legendary Games and other retailing sites by the time you are reading this. It shouldn’t be very long either way.

So, heroes? Back to that question then. For me, the real heroes of today are those healthcare workers fighting Covid-19 on the front line, everyone working in emergency services, public transport, waste disposal, the police and fire services, everyone working to keep our life safe and sustainable. I also include all of those people giving of their time and energy to support these efforts through fund raising and volunteering, or even just by shouting across the fence to the elderly neighbours asking if there is anything they need. In short, all of you.

I would also like to publicly thank every contributor that gave of their time and recipes for free and to the staff of Legendary Games who were willing to donate their time to produce this product in aid of such a worthwhile cause. Money is tight for all right now so this publisher has really risen above and beyond in doing this, and I hope you will join me in applauding them all.

Please consider buying a copy of this cookbook when it is available; it is raising money for your heroes everywhere, and it might even help you during your lockdown and beyond.

Many thanks in advance to you all. Keep safe, keep well, and stay home.

Anthony

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What does it mean to be a hero to you? Who are some of your heroes in real-life? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Art belongs to Alex Ross.

You can find him here: https://www.alexrossart.com/

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Sean K Reynolds aka seankreynolds

I’m a designer and developer for Monte Cook Games, working on Numenera and the Cypher System. I’ve also worked as a designer at Paizo, Interplay, Wizards of the Coast, and TSR, and have written for Pathfinder and D&D (2E, 3E, and 5E). I’ve been a GM and player since the early ‘80s, and I generally run freeform-style adventures with little prep and a lot of improv. I have many cats, and my hobbies include drawing, cooking, singing, and home repair.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Andrew Sturtevant aka Harrowed Wizard

I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs since about 2001, when my Dad introduced me to D&D 2nd Edition, and then we fell headfirst into 3.X systems. I have recently started writing Starfinder focused articles this January, first for the Intrepid Heroes Network and now Know Direction. I have two bachelor’s degrees: one in psychology and another in computer science.

Fan: Aaron Scholl aka Aaron the Paisley

I started playing tabletop RPGs in college in the 90’s. My first group rotated games every week, and played D&D 2nd, Space 1889, West End Games Star Wars, and Traveler among others. After transferring schools, I joined a group that played Rifts/Palladium exclusively. After college, I stopped gaming for about 10 years until a friend found out that I “used to game.” He told me that was the saddest thing he’d ever heard anyone say and got me back into gaming. That was not too long after Pathfinder came out and his group had just transitioned from 3.5. In the years since, I have become the main GM for my group, with my wife running short campaigns when burn-out starts to creep in.  Outside of gaming I do woodworking and carpentry. You can see some of my work @SchollWoodworks on Instagram. (Loren, feel free to remove the shameless plug.)

Today’s Question

“King Rivervain has died. The Rivervain lands weren’t particularly large or noteworthy, but it did have a medium-sized castle, and its people were happy and well-fed. But now, it’s your turn. As the only child of King Rivervain, it falls on you to continue to lead these lands further into prosperity. Unfortunately, Ipenstar, a larger and more aggressive kingdom, has heard the news of your father’s death and intends to forcibly claim the Rivervain lands as their own. Your advisors, wizards, and clerics have opened up the coffers and prepared a number of resources for you to use in the defense of the kingdom however you see fit. You can spend these resources on anything you’d like. Fortifications, training soldiers, hiring specialist mercenaries, capturing magical beasts to use at war, etc… But, Ipenstar will spend exactly twice the resources you spend on a tradition fantasy army. It’ll be composed of foot soldiers, spearmen, and archers, supported by knights on horseback. Behind their lines will be catapults designed to bring down your walls. Your diviners and spies both determine via their own methods that the Ipenstar battle strategy will be to directly siege your castle and engage your army in the open field. And now, your council looks to you to direct the Rivervain war effort. How will you spend your resources? What tactics will you employ to beat an army that outnumbers you two to one?“

You’ve been given a castle and X resources to build a fantasy army. There’s another army coming to take your lands but they had twice the resources you did and spent it all on a traditional army. They’ll also be using a very straightforward strategy. How do you plan to defend your people?

Answers

Sean: If my opponents are relying on a traditional army, that means I don’t have to deal with flying mages, weird summoned monsters, teleportation, and invisibility; I’m just dealing with mundane soldiers, archers, and cavalry, which means having a castle gives me a huge advantage.

Even on Earth, castle and city walls eventually became durable enough that siege warfare became futile, so I’d spend much of my resources on fortifying the walls, improving the defenses on the walls (like cauldrons of oil, wax, or water that can be spilled on enemies outside), and training soldiers how to defend in a siege. Then it becomes a matter of withstanding the siege until the Ipenstarians give up or fail due to attrition.

To keep my defenders safe and healthy, I spend resources on long-lasting food staples and potable water, with a few doctors and magical healers to minimize the spread of disease (and perhaps augment and maintain the food and water supplies).

I’d get a few flying mounts like hippogriffs or griffons so my people can scout the opposition (and perhaps drop stones or buckets of… material… from our latrines on the enemy from a safe height, both to demoralize my opponents and inflict small casualties). Heck, drop some propaganda on them, too, and garbage or the remains of food animals (occasional pig skeletons dropping out of the sky onto your tents is bad for morale).

A few really sneaky scouts or some low-level wizards with invisibility could do a lot of subtle sabotage in the enemy camps without drawing too much attention or risk to themselves (unlike trying to assassinate the enemy officers or anything like that). You don’t need big magic to defeat the enemy army, small magic used in clever ways can accomplish a lot (even something as “special ops” characters communicating instantaneously with messaging spells or using darkvision gives my side an advantage over the opposition).

Overall, because I’m outnumbered and outspent, I have to be smart and use my resources in precise ways that have a disproportionate impact. I don’t even have to kill the enemy, I just have to break their morale. Spoil their rum rations and their best food so they’re all eating onion soup and stale bread. Cast minor curses on their leaders so they always talk in a ridiculous singsong voice. Use illusions to make strange sounds and images at night so the land seems haunted. Armies are expensive, and eventually Ipenstar will realize it’s too expensive to besiege Rivervain.

(BTW, a really good example of a small group of low-level spellcasters causing major setbacks to an invading army is shown in The Unwilling Warlord, a fantasy novel by Lawrence Watt-Evans. For example, they use a weak explosive trap spell, various closeable items, and they use minor telekinesis to weaken the tension-bearing parts of enemy catapults so they shatter when used. The protagonists don’t have the resources to put traps on everything or weaken every catapult, but they’re able to do enough that the enemy army has to spend extra time, effort, and resources to make sure that its equipment is safe to use.)

Andrew: This prompt could not have been more timely for me. I just finished a cybersecurity course, and one of the things discussed was defense in layers. They specifically reference a castle’s typical defense that relies on many different layers to stay defended. Let’s borrow a term from Ultimate Campaign and say that I have 1000 Build Points (BP) to create my defenses.

My first move would be to spend roughly 400 BP on flying defenders. Being more specific, I would say that 100 BP would get me a flight of 10 wyvern-riders equipped with ranged weaponry, so this would net me around 40 riders total. Air superiority is something that I strongly believe separates a traditional army and a high fantasy defense. Another 300 BP would be spent on a traditional fantasy army. These units will be used to defend the castle wall, dropping pitch on invaders and pushing back any ladders that might be placed. For more specificity, if 1 BP is one traditional unit, I would ensure about 115 pikemen, 115 archers and 70 swordsmen were recruited. With 300 BP remaining, I am going to spend around half of that on siege weaponry. These trebuchets, catapults and ballista would be used to soften and harass the invading army as they construct their own siege engines. A trebuchet could be around 50 BP, a traditional catapult & ballista might be 30 BP.  I would ensure my castle had about 3 trebuchets, 3 catapults and 2 ballistae to defend my walls from a distance. My final 150 BP would be spent on a specialist team. This team would be my troubleshooting unit made up of stronger and more capable beings to assist in any task that needs doing right away. These are the adventurers that I’ve hired! Adventurers are hard to pin down the BP cost for, but possibly a mid-career adventurer costs around 30 BP for the duration of my siege (assume 5-7th level, and patriotic enough to defend my castle) then a party of 5 heroes can wreck plenty of havoc on an enemy! Early in the siege, these adventurers would be sent as forerunners  to disrupt the enemies supply lines and cause chaos and confusion amongst the enemy leadership (if we assume the enemy leadership is Evil, maybe removing some of those leaders from their mortal coil).

Overall, this defense strategy relies heavily on weakening the enemy well before they ever consider breaching my walls by siccing the adventurers on them first, harrying them with my wyvern riders, and then smashing them with my siege engines.  My traditional defenders will be bolstered by my more specialized defenders should it reach the walls of my castle.

Aaron: I have a couple of solutions. The first takes the spirit of the issue; the second one takes advantage of a loophole (as many players are wont to do). I would summon all of the kingdom’s magic users to the palace and prepare for the siege by, for lack of a better word, paving the siege area with Wall of Stone. When the army of Ipenstar is in place, the wizards and sorcerers would cast Stone to Mud, then after the enemy forces are mired to their knees, cast Mud to Stone. The archers and calvary of Rivervain would then make a full assault, destroying Ipenstar and bringing much glory to Rivervain.

The second (exploitative) solution is rather simple and uses the fact that the army of Ipenstar is using exactly twice what Rivervain spends. Two high-level archers shooting from the ramparts should be able to easily take out a small squad of foot soldiers.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. How would you prepare for an overwhelming force at your castle walls? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Art belongs to Yuri_B on Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ork-fantasy-warrior-troll-monster-4692683/

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Kate Baker

I’ve been playing TTRPGs since 2013 and started freelancing in 2016. My best-known work is definitely the morlamaws, the psychedelic-colored space walruses from Starfinder, but I’m also quite proud of my Adventure Path volumes: Starfinder Adventure Path #22: The Forever Reliquary and Pathfinder Adventure Path #154: Siege of the Dinosaurs. I have an old hound dog named Clarence who is keeping me on a regular walkies schedule while we’re all stuck at home.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Luis Loza (@donatoclassic)

Hey, I’m Luis! I’ve been playing tabletops RPGs since I skipped track practice back in 2004. I had a good amount of history with 3.5 D&D, quite a bit of 4E, before finally falling deep into the Pathfinder rabbit whole. I am currently a developer at Paizo, working on Pathfinder, no less! I help develop the Lost Omens line plus little bits here and there. In addition to playing RPGs, I play lots of board games, video games, go running, enjoy food, and watching movies.

Fan: Eric Prister

I’ve been playing and GMing (let’s be honest, mostly GMing) Pathfinder for about eight years, started learning to play almost exclusively by listening to the 3.5 Private Sanctuary podcast, and play Ryx on the KD Societus play-by-discord game. I am also a freelance editor for Paizo, and have worked on a number of 2E and Starfinder Adventure Path volumes and Lost Omens hardcovers. I was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and now live just outside New York City, working in education.

Today’s Question

“It’s time to start a new campaign with fresh level 1 characters. Best of all, someone else agreed to be the GM this time. You’re going to be playing in a homebrew world designed with the interests of each player. Everyone already has all of these really cool ideas for their next character. You *would’ve* had a really great idea too, but all of the classes you like have already been taken or are off the table for some other reason. This time, you have little to no choice; you’re going to have to play your least favorite class AND you’re going to have to do a bang up job with it since everyone else already has such great character concepts they’re going to play.

What is your least favorite class to play and why? How would you build a really cool and interesting character using that class so that you could actually enjoy playing it?

Answers

Kate: This is an interesting question, since I don’t have a least favorite class, per se. I actually try to make all of my PCs as different as possible from each other, so that I can get a good feel for different play styles and really understand how all the different classes work. Because of this, my *groan* moment for a new campaign would be playing a PC who is too similar to one I’ve played before.

So let’s say this new PF2 group is going to be all goblins, but I need to play the wizard. I think goblin wizards are great! My highest level PFS character is a goblin wizard. However, I would be disappointed to play another one, especially for a long campaign, instead of getting to make something different.

The way I would build and play the character to still have fun is to figure out how to differentiate the character from the one I’ve already played. I could focus on a different school of magic, or I could explore multi-classing, which is something I haven’t done yet with a PC. I would definitely look at newer books for character options I didn’t even have available when I made the first character. This goblin either wouldn’t have a familiar or would have a completely different kind of familiar. I could also go a very different direction with how I role-play the character. Perhaps this goblin wizard is counter to type and hates to light things on fire. A goblin caster who hates fire is an interesting character concept right off the bat! I would definitely come up with a different voice and personality to try and make this PC feel distinct. Between different mechanical options and different role-playing choices, I can definitely make this a PC I still feel excited about playing.

Luis: Oh, boy. This is such a fascinating question for me. I have always said (and still maintain) that my least favorite class is the ranger. However, I can never really pin down why it’s my least favorite, that’s just always my answer when asked the question. I guess now is the time to do so!

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with the ranger, it just never had anything that really pulled me in. It has the unfortunate fate of being a class where everything is sound and there are no glaring problems with it, it’s just not exciting to me in particular. If I wanted to be a great warrior, I can look at the fighter or barbarian. If I wanted to do the skill monkey thing, I can play a rogue or bard. Magic is more interesting when I’m playing any other spellcaster. The ranger is mostly a collection of specific things that other classes can do better. Mind you, the ranger has them all in one package, but the jack-of-all-trades thing doesn’t really appeal to me most of the time.

If I had to play a ranger, though, I think I would lean into some real weirdness. I would still be a typical ranger who’s good at tracking or identifying monsters, but I would give my character a heck of a quirk. They would be intent on finding some unknown, unheard of creature like the legendary Lumpfblach. My ranger would always compare other creatures to the lumpfblach and keep proposing more and more outrageous abilities that a lumpfblach has. “Oh, this rust monster eats metal armor, but the lumpfblach can eat spell books and make you forget magic.” “That thing? Well, that’s an aboleth. It can take over your mind. It can’t dominate a lumpfblach, though, because a lumpfblach has three brains.”

I think leaning into that would make a really fun time and would let me fill the typical ranger role in a fun and unique way. I would have fun with coming with silly ideas at the table and could dial it back as needed for the game. It would also give the GM lots of ammunition to use for their game in the form of a mythical monster that can show up later. As for a character build, I’d probably go with something simple like a two-weapon ranger. I might fight with two maces. Lumpfblachs are weak to maces.

Eric: My primary mechanical goal (in the few instances I’m able to play rather than GM) when building a character is to have as many options as possible. I really dislike playing one-note characters, and while I don’t generally think of it as a “least favorite class,” I would usually steer away from playing, for instance, a barbarian. So in this case, if forced to play a barbarian, I would want to make sure of a few things.

To start, I’d choose a few mechanical options (whether in skill selection, or with my background) that help me diversify my options. Maybe my barbarian is trained in a few of the knowledge-y skills like Society or Religion, or a social skill like Diplomacy. Maybe I’d choose a background that doesn’t fit the traditional view of a barbarian, like Noble or Scholar – how many barbarians out there have the Courtly Graces skill feat? I’d then reinforce these choices by putting at least a few ability boosts in Intelligence or Charisma, probably sacrificing Constitution, so that I can still do my thing (hit things really hard) while playing up the more refined aspects of my surprisingly multifaceted barbarian. Mechanically, I’d rather stay relatively optimal (by maxing out Strength) while still diversifying, so I’d sacrifice a secondary ability score like Constitution instead.

Most important for me, though, is to take these mechanical choices and come up with a backstory that fits. Rather than start with the barbarian aspect, I’d look at some of the less common choices (like the Noble background and Society training) and start there. Perhaps my character is the third son of a noble from Ustalav who, because his older siblings are more likely to inherit, leaves home to carve out a place for himself away from his family. He is accepted as a student at Lepidstadt University, studying medicine, mathematics, and science (reminding myself that I should make sure I choose to be trained in Medicine and Nature). And where does the barbarian aspect enter in? Perhaps my family has lycanthropic blood somewhere in its past, and I’ve been known to fly into an animalistic rage without warning. Perhaps my older brothers tormented me as a child, and so whenever I find myself in a fight (which I try to avoid at all costs), I lose all sense of control. My goal here is to move away from the most common barbarian tropes into something that fits much more closely with the character background I’ve already started to build for myself.

Finally, I’d go back through and fine-tune my choices. Perhaps I’d choose to fight with a rapier rather than some more common choices for a barbarian; I’d still benefit from the damage bonus from rage, but the rapier is more fitting for a well-educated university student. And maybe, if I’m going to have my character attend Lepidstadt, I’d take a look at the background specifically tied to the university. At the end of the day, my goal would be to make character choices that really focus on the parts of the character other than his class, because I know that the barbarian aspects will always have their chance to shine – I just want to make sure he has other ways of shining as well.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. Which class is your least favorite to play? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Art belongs to Null-Entity on Deviant Art. https://www.deviantart.com/null-entity

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Jason Keeley (@herzwesten)

I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs since the early 2000s, though with my avid interest in theater and improv since high school, I feel like these games have always been a part of me. While I started at the company as an editor, I am currently a developer at Paizo, working mainly on the Starfinder Adventure Path line. I have written quite a number of words for Paizo, plus adventures for the likes of Green Ronin and Cubicle 7. I also enjoy the heck out of board games and video games. I have a cute but reactive dog named Bigby who reviews teas on Twitter.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: James

Hi, my name is James and welc… Wait, this isn’t Code/Switch, I’ve been bamboozled! I’ll get you Loren! My name is James, as I said before, and I write Code/Switch, co-host Know Direction Beyond with Alex Augunas and Perram, and I play Klyf in the Know Direction Stellar series. I’m the KD crew you ask if you want to find out how many elephants fit in a Bag of Holding or figure out the power capacity of batteries in Starfinder. Outside of RPGs I like to play Overwatch and I’m a pretty dang good cook.

Fan: Nathan K. (aka decaffeinate)

I’ve only been playing TTRPG’s for the past two years, primarily standing on Pathfinder and recently dabbling in Shadowrun. The more structure a game has the happier I am since I come from a tech support background. Otherwise, I’m a huge lover of rpg games and collector of tattoos for the more obscure game’s references from games like the Suikoden franchise.

Today’s Question

“Just the other day, you were commenting to a friend about how you were thinking about getting another pet. Later that day while checking your mail, you found a small advertisement for a new pet shop near where the mall used to be. ‘Lucky Friends Little Shoppe’ is the name and there’s a coupon for ‘One Free New Friend.’ Today, you decided that you think you’re ready for another animal and with your coupon in hand, ‘Lucky Friends’ seems as good a place to start as any. You arrive about an hour after the store opens. Gerbils, rabbits, fish, and shelter-cats greet you as you walk in the door. The adorable faces of the would-be pets is a stark contrast to the visage of the woman behind the counter. She’s only tall enough to meet your chest and wide as a barrel. Her face is worn and leathery from untold years of the sun, and she wears a simple and dirty apron that says ‘Lucky Friends’ on it. Despite her gruff-ish appearance, she smiles warmly and welcome you with a hint of…is that…Scottish in her inflection? ‘Welcome, welcome to me shop! Please have a look around an’ let me know if you’ll be needin’ any help! The name’s Geerda.’ You say thanks and that you will. While you were excited to see a new member of your family come home with you today, the love birds and lizards just aren’t making your heart sing. Geerda calls to you, ‘Ya don’t seem to be findin’ anything ya like; would ya’ like to see my more exotic friends in the back?’ She takes you into a back room that’s pitch black. With a flip of a light switch, she brings the lights on—the black-lights. All manner of wild and fantastic beasts glow in fluorescent colors. ‘Do any of these strike yer fancy? Yer coupin is good on these too, but I’ll be politely asking that ya be getting your feed and bedding from me.”

Geerda’s backroom contains all animals and magical beasts from any published tabletop roleplaying game. Which one do you pick as your new pet and why? Most importantly of all though, what do you name it?

Answers

Jason: A fascinating question! I do love animals, but I feel like the ones we have here on Earth, especially the domesticated ones (cats, dogs, and so on), make for the best pets. At least for me. Griffins, owlbears, pegasi are interesting creatures and would probably be excellent companions if trained correctly, but my mind immediately jumps to the care and feeding of such magical beasts. You’d need at least a stable of some kind, plus plenty of yard space—a farm really—for them to run around. No way you’re cooping up a dire bear in an apartment.

But that’s not very imaginative is it? If I actually put my mind to it, one creature—one stupid, stupid creature—comes to mind: the carbuncle. Several years ago as I was running the Kingmaker AP for my home group, my wife Paula saw a picture of this derptastic cat-sized lizard thing and immediately wanted it as a familiar for her half-orc wizard, Gramps. Before you ask, Gramps was a young man. That was just a family name.

A carbuncle is the perfect size for our apartment life, and it seems to favor fresh fruit, which is easy to procure. I imagine it would get along with our dog thanks to its empathy. We’d have to make sure not to spook it, otherwise it would fake its death and disappear into the closet. But I think it would feel safe with us, perhaps falling asleep on one of our shoulders as we watched TV.

And what would we name it? Well, we’d name it the same as Gramps’s familiar: Eglantine

James: This is almost a trick question, like, this is how you get a Gremlins (the movie, not the fey) situation. So many of the coolest creatures in RPGs would not make good pets. A Hunter with an Owlbear companion might be fine, but I’m a 5’6 nerd who currently lives in suburbia, my neighbors would not appreciate a 6 foot tall bird that mauls everything smaller than it.

My first idea for a pet was your standard fantasy trope “good” creatures; pegasuses, unicorns, griffons, and kami. This was a good idea until I realized the criteria that these creatures choose their partners on. I firmly identify as lawful neutral, and I don’t think I shed the necessary “good” aura that these creatures would look for in a partner. Shame too, because Kami have a lot of dope magic I could use in my everyday life.

To pick a pet, I need to change my thinking. I don’t need something that relies on my, I just want a fun companion that can do its own thing. After looking through some comprehensive lists of animals and magical beasts, I would choose an Androsphinx.

Androsphinxes are the chaotic good sphinxes that like deep conversation, oh, and they like themselves too. They’re basically a combination of the French philosopher Voltare and a common housecat. While the Androsphinxes large and frightful form may initially scare my neighbors, I believe they’ll grow to enjoy the gruff company of such a powerful creature. A creature with the ability to cure wounds, calm emotions, and protect you from fire. Also, as a bonus, I think Androsphinxes eat people food, so I hope the food Geerda provides is something I can eat too, it’d make grocery shopping so much easier.

As for a name, I feel uncomfortable naming a creature that’s bigger, stronger, smarter, and more magical than I am. Hopefully it has a name it prefers. If not, and it desires a name, I’d probably name it Leopold. Get it, it’s a lion and its nickname would be Leo. Am I the only one who finds that funny? You know what? Don’t talk to me or my magnificent son ever again.

Nathan: So right off the bat, I’d beeline for a classic go-to choice, the phoenix. Mostly because it’s a majestic fire bird, but also because it can remove curses. And let’s be honest, I’m a pretty average Joe dating a well-known luck abuser who siphons it from others like me. I’d like to negate that negative on a daily because if the thing has a name, and it’s literally called Jinx, then clearly it’s a curse (looking at you, boyfriend…). Minus how BIG that bird is. I’ve only really got the strongest grasp on Pathfinder for tabletop monster knowledge, but that thing is literally gargantuan. Where would I fit it? My one bedroom apartment would surely not do. So no, I’d have to say nevermind and move to a different creature entirely as I longingly gaze back at that fiery plumage knowing fully well it’d be named Fox.

But lo! A kitten unlike the others. It floats around, stares through bright violet eyes, and even turns to a fine mist. Hello, dear silvanshee. Let’s be fair here. It’s a cheshire cat for the sake of good instead of Chaos. And I love it. While not necessarily a cat person, I’d definitely say that there are no negatives with an agathion. It’s what I chose for my first witch character ever when she hit the level to change familiars. Mia rightfully went from a toad named Elk to a silvanshee named Endrance. Anyone who catches that dothack reference is amazing. Shout out to you! But alas, there is one issue with the silvanshee. It likes to lead their mortal allies toward evil that must be “eliminated”. Take that for however you want to spin it, but I will take that to mean that unless I’m openly in an active position of snuffing out the “bad guy”, I’m not gonna be up for that goading. Buh-bye kitteh~

How about a blink dog? Ok, super cool, big fluffy doge, but I couldn’t bring myself to separate one from its would-be pack. But they have the capacity to bond and be loyal to someone and live upward of 75 years you say? Hrm…

Then there’s the one obscure game I’m familiar with from a couple years ago that opens up over 800 options. Pokemon had a tabletop. So oh man, theres Eevee and Vulpix and the whole slew of mons. Do I go straight to that section? Any one of the more adorable quadrupeds would surely bring out the jealously in most of my family members. Especially Eevee… ok, I’d have to check them out. Maybe even get in a pen with them and play for awhile. Gotta do it. Just gotta.

All that said and done though, I think I made my decision. Even if I were to pick an Eevee, I’ve already debated the internal conundrum of what it could evolve into. And anything less than LOVING ME is absolutely unacceptable, even if I’d prefer an Espeon over a Sylveon. So with big ol’ puppy dog eyes and the ability to stand up to my height on its’ hind legs, I’m totally picking the blink dog. 180 lbs of floof, the ability to go ethereal so it’s not always hogging the bed, the ability to dimension door, and that lifespan which is equal to an average human? Yeah, that’s a companion for life, and I couldn’t be happier. Whether I adopt him at months old, a couple years, or even around the same age as me, that is without a doubt my most favorite option. Plus if he’s anything like my current dog Tidus, he would be one heck of a cuddler that literally slams into you when you tell him to lay down. Boy oh boy, that’d be one heck of a body drop. And he’d totally be named Blink were it not for my friend Nick who already has a dog named after the spell. So instead, I think I’d sit down with the blink dog, ask it to come home with me, and I would name him Caius, because the next best choice is always a Final Fantasy reference.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What classic RPG monster would you pick as a pet? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!
First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG-Industry Veteran: Guy Sclanders

I am Guy Sclanders, from the YouTube channel How to be a Great GM. I am an author, storyteller, educator, and fat goblin all rolled into one and I’ve been roleplaying since the early 1990’s. Currently my passion is for helping others to improve their RPG and story experience. I am originally from South Africa, but currently live with my boyfriend in Tokyo Japan. I’ll probably move to the UK at some point as I believe travelling and living in different countries really gives one perspective on life.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Alexander “Alex” Augunas, the Everyman Gamer

I’ve been playing tabletop RPGs since 2007, and I’ve been writing columns for Know Direction for nearly 6 years and co-hosting podcasts for about 4 years. I’m an avid Paizo freelancer, the hat-wearer of Everybody Games, a former Private Sanctuary Podcast co-host and one of the current Know Direction Beyond cohosts. I’m also Xvi (pronounced She-Vee) on Know Direction’s Starfinder Actual Play Podcast, Stellar. I have my bachelor’s in the Science of Elementary Education, my masters in Education with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis, and am working to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.

Fan: Wade LaHue

I’m just an average basement-GM who happens to run a 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons game. I’ve played TTRPGs for 11 years (one year short of half my life…) frequently without any source material, running on scrap paper, dice, and imagination. Outside the couple campaigns I’m presently involved with, I’m a college biology student and work as a public educator at a state park and rehabilitation center for birds of prey.

Today’s Question

“It’s a chilly morning but otherwise unremarkable. The humdrum of another boring morning routine is near unbearable in it’s normalcy, and you beg the reflection in the mirror for something different. Your reflection yields no answers. You finish getting dressed and ready for work. It’s time to head out. Your own vehicle sits where it should, ready to propel you into yet another Tuesday. As you go to disembark, an abrupt ‘honk’ jars your attention from across the street. A yellow, old-fashioned, New York style taxi cab meets your vision; it says ‘Grint and Stingos Transportation.’ A man with a funny hat and a round, hairy face beckons for you to come over. ‘You called?’ he asks croaky voice. As you begin to form an answer in your mouth, his door opens to reveal that it’s actually two gnomes with pointy shoes in the driver seat—one standing at the wheel and another laying on his belly to push the pedals with his little gnomey hands. ‘Well c’mon! We `aven’t got all day’ the pedal-gnome squeaks. You realize that you should have about a million different questions in your head, but for some reason, the only one that comes to the surface is ‘why not?’ The surprisingly adept cabbies take you down familiar roads and into a familiar tunnel. Exiting the other side reveals that the setting is no longer familiar…or at least…not in a way that you’re used to seeing.”

Grint and Stingo’s magical taxicab has transported you to your favorite fantasy setting. What is it? Why is it your favorite? And what are you going to try to do now that you’re there?

Answers

Guy: The cab and its bizarre drivers explode as we exit the tunnel, showering me in pumpkin. A cold breeze bites at my ankles and cheeks as it slinks around in the shadows remembering days when it had more power – remembering winter. Now however, delicate little yellow flowers peer up at me as I stand dripping pumpkin entrails and looking like I was just hit by …  a pumpkin.

“This is impossible.”

I look around, aware that my vision is a lie, but still wanting to see it all: Massive mountains stab up into the bright blue sky where a pale sun idly sits forgetting to heat up the plane below it. Forests of verdant green hang around like guilty teenagers in the flows of the murderous cliffs, and yes… yes there it is – a troll sits in the shade of a large pine tree. His rocky skin flaking in the sun: trolls here you see, hate over-heating. It slows their thought processes. Just then I begin to hear… wait… is it really? Is it really! I look up in joy and wonderment as a familiar wizard falls from the sky.  His hat contemptuously floats down a good dozen feet above him. His screams rush towards me though, faster than he can or wants to. Just then, a massive green dragon explodes past me, pulling my hair and beard in all directions as it’s huge bulk sucks the air around me. “What the fu!” is all I can manage to get out of my mouth before the vacuum the imaginary monster made closes and drags me to the ground.

“What’s all this then?” A grave and grizzly voice asks. I look upon a pair of sandaled feet. Old toes, worn and calloused wiggle impatiently. “My eyes are up here son, not down there. Are you some kind of… tour…shist?” The voice demands to know, but before I can answer, a sloppy, slimey, and altogether unpleasant voice rejoins: “I fink it’s a toorust, cap’n.” The sandals shift, weight being moved from impatience to avoidance.

“We have been given specific instructions on dealing with tourista.” Added a third voice. I realize now that I’ve become surrounded by individuals all dressed in vaguely the same idea, if not in the same era. Sandals from the time of the mad king – little decadent roses embossed in the old leather betray the opulence of the crazy monarch, stand next to the cleaner cut, more robust (for a working man, woman, or zombie) sandals of the age of the dictator.

“Well whatever it is, it’s fat, hairy, and smells vaguely of One-eyed Kim’s noodles.”

“I beg your pardon!” I start to stand up, pulling myself up to my full height. I glare into the uncaring, over-worked, and definitely tired face of the captain of the watch. I can’t help myself; I giggle. It escaped like a demon possessed, but as sneaky as a sneaky thing on a sneaky Tuesday. In horror I clap my own hand over my own mouth – desperate to prove that it wasn’t me who’d just giggled like a school child.

“Sounds like a topaz.”

“That’s a rock. It’s a toor wrist.”

“A topaz isn’t a toor wrist, it’s yellow.”

I watch in glee as the exchange wanders around all the usual topics of exploration before the behinds behind the steering wheels realize the wreck has happened and then all get nervous and embarrassed for having wandered so far off course.

“Do you have any… money?” Another voice chimes in. I spin, my face a rictus of glee. Before the man holding the tray of questionable meats can respond, his brain warns him – this is someone who wants, actually wants to eat whatever you have on your tray (and they will die and then you’ll be arrested again). “Never mind! Happy Hogswatch.” He turns and runs dropping sausages in a bun all over the place.

“Never seen that happen. Hey – are you a wizard then?” Asks the slimy one. I turn back, my face wide with joy. For a moment my body convulses at the sight of the little man…woman…thinglet standing checking on a piece of stick.

“I sure hope I am!”

If this truly is Discworld, I’ll probably die horribly, or end up stuck with the gods on a mountain somewhere. As a fantasy world it grew and changed over the decades that Sir Terry Pratchett wrote about it, and for all those decades this was, and still is, my go to sanctuary when I want to be reminded that the real world is just a crazy collection of Nobbs, Carrots, Vimes and all the wonder we can have as humans.

Alex: As Alex steps out of the transdimension taxis, the dying embers of dusk shines into his eyes. Almost as soon as he steps out, the door to Grint and Stingo’s magical taxicab slams shut behind him as the pair speed off, no doubt looking for someone else to maroon on a faraway world. A massive clock tower tolls in the distance—one o’clock, two o’clock, three…. Alex looses count as he walks towards a small plaza where a group of people are gathering in front of a small bistro. Young men and women lounge about the restaurant’s outdoor seating, but the person who catches Alex’s curious eye is a3 foot tall anthropomorphic duck sporting a fancy overcoat, a monocle, and a top hat.

“Welcome to m’bistro, laddie!” The duck says chipperly, greeting Alex with an outstretched hand. Alex gingerly shakes the mallard’s wing, looking confused.

“Hello, Mr., um….”

“McDuck! Scrooge McDuck, in fact, and by the looks of it I’m judging that you’re new around here, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Alex nods.

“Well then!” Scrooge replies, clapping his feathered hands. “Let old Scroogie be the first one to welcome ya to Twilight Town! Care for a slice of Little Chef’s world-renowned cheese cake?”

This one was actually REALLY tough for me, as I came up with two answers that I think are pretty good picks for “What fantasy world would you want to be marooned on?” If you didn’t guess it from the opening, the world(s) of Kingdom Hearts end up hedging it out a little bit for me. The main reason I chose Kingdom Hearts is that it’s a rare example of a fantasy world where anyone seems to be able to learn to do anything. Sora goes from a relatively ordinary boy swordfighting with a stick to casting powerful spells and overall becoming a master of fighting. And based on the game, not all of his power can be attributed to his legendary artifact weapon, the Keyblade. When Sora temporarily loses the Keyblade in one of his games, sure, his melee attacks are awful but he can still cast spells and use limit breaks and stuff. I think that if a kid like Sora could learn to do magic and cool attacks, I probably could too. It’s sort of an open question regarding how difficult it is to acquire a Keyblade; in the first game there’s only one, but by the end of the third game there’s a whole magical graveyard of Keyblades. Sora’s Keyblade is special in that it’s the keyblade for the “heart” of his multiverse, and while I don’t think that’s up for grabs I think it’s reasonable to say that I could probably get my own Keyblade, and oh man, if I could just imagine what sort of stuff that could do for me! Kingdom Hearts is the ultimate cheat answer because EVERY Disney property theoretically has a world within that universe. I could have lunch in Agrabah before traveling to Arendale to explore a Scandinavian paradise before hanging out on a tropical island in Port Royal. Maybe the Avengers’ universe is in Kingdom Hearts too! There’s just so much to see and do and meet in the world of Kingdom Hearts.

Of course, living in Kingdom Hearts has a major downside—the heartless. They’re these terrible little monsters who are attracted to souls, and its said that if you can use a Keyblade then you’re even MORE appetizing to them. I think I could handle it with a Keyblade, but the danger was definitely a reason why Kingdom Hearts only barely managed to hedge out my runner up answer: Pokemon! Compared to Kingdom Hearts, the World of Pokemon is relatively safe. Moreover, its family-friendly nature means that a lot of the issues we have in the real world like corruption just don’t seem to really exist there. Everyone is mostly happy all the time, and more importantly, ANYONE can have Pokemon! Kids as young as 5 have bug Pokemon partners, so I’m pretty sure I can handle it. Also, the Pokemon money system is based roughly on the Japanese Yen, so when you’re told that a potion that magically heals your Pokemon costs $200, it actually means 200 Yen, which is less than $5 in USD. Couple that with the fact that health care seems to be free a la Pokemon centers and that every Pokemon center has rooms where trainers can stay for free and the democratic socialist utopia of the Pokemon World sounds pretty great. There’s just one problem, and it’s that I’d probably have to get a job. If Pokedollars are equivalent to Yen, then you just can’t make enough money to live off of in the Pokemon World. Without knowing how easy jobs are to get in the Pokemon World and whether or not I’d be able to make enough money to be happy in the world of Pokemon, I just can’t pick it over Kingdom Heart’s high fantasy. Because if you’re gonna be homeless in a video game world, you might as well pick the video game world that allows you to chuck meteors at people!

For those curious, my Pokemon team would be: Delphox, Lucario, Ninetails (Alola Form), Flotzel, Zorark, and Ursaring!

Wade: Well, like I mentioned in the introduction, much of the time I’ve been playing TTRPG I haven’t really had access to books. I’ve never played a campaign module or adventure path, and the only published setting I’ve ever played in were a couple brief stints into Faerun. When I play TTRPGs, I play in a world of my design. Since I first started play at the age of twelve, my best friend Alex and I have co-GMed and co-created the world we now play in. Two of the three games I’m involved in right now are in this setting. I have spent years making maps, designing cultures and cities, creating a pantheon, a history, and seeding the world with homebrew monsters, magics, and magical items. So when first offered by Grint and Stingos to be transported to a fantasy setting of my choosing, I’m tempted to say “My Own.”

In the world outside of TTRPGs, I love to travel. I’ve been to five of the seven continents, climbed many mountains, dove below a couple oceans, and met all sorts of people. One of the things I value most in life is adventure. I’m a biology major and I work at a state park. I love to observe and experience nature, I loved animals before I even knew about tabletops. So with these things in mind (a love of adventure and new experience and for the natural world) why would I choose to go to a place I’ve already been for the last 11 years? I’ve designed this home world of mine. I’ve been to the top of every mountain in my world, I’ve dove to the deepest depth of every ocean, and I know everyone by name. I’ve seen every kind of plant, animal, and fungi, I’ve seen every magical creature, I’ve cast every spell. As interesting as it would be, I think that sense of adventure in me will not be satiated if I go somewhere so familiar.

This may be a little out of left field, bit I think I’d ask Grint and Stingo to take me to the Magic the Gathering universe. I have always been terrible at MTG because the only thing I ever cared about was the card art. This art has inspired a variety of homebrew monsters, items, and places in my home world, but is nowhere near as familiar to me. The beauty of the places and creatures along with the idea of a multiverse filled with different planes that I can travel between at my leisure sounds like paradise. In this place I can let my wanderlust carry me on forever, never becoming bored with my setting because I can always planeswalk to another.

Another key reason I chose this universe is that I feel like I’m significantly less likely to die here, assuming I arrive as a planeswalker and not just a peasant. I say this because when playing MTG all I ever do is cast spells like Invincibility and Sheltered Woods that heal damage, prevent creatures from being targeted by spells, and make them… invincible. Spells like that will keep me alive. Hopefully…

All I really want to do is explore, so I hopefully won’t be in too many fights as it is. I don’t want to just walk everywhere. So, the first thing I’m going to do is to learn to fly. Once that’s done, I will travel to my favorite plane, Zendikar. It’s an ever-changing world of different types of ecosystems with massive creatures that roam around. There I will spend the first year drifting lazily among fields of hedrons: octahedrons that glow softly and float all over the plane. This first year I’ll just take as a relaxing vacation.

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What’s your favorite fantastic setting and what you do if you found yourself there? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry and another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! If you’d like to be featured on Bend the Knee, leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com.

Creative Commons credit: airship city by Min-Nguen

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Adam Daigle

I’ve been writing material for games for just over 10 years, specializing in Pathfinder. I’m currently the Pathfinder Managing Developer at Paizo where I have the pleasure to lead a team of the most talented developers in the business. I like bugs of all sorts, particularly mantises.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Vanessa

I have been creating games and adventures since I was 10 and raiding the family board games for dice while using her vast LEGO collection for minis and locations. My sojourn into TTRPGs properly began with the launch of D&D 3rd edition; I’ve been playing and running games in evolutions of that system ever since.

Today, I’ve authored several Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios including an interactive special. I’ve also crafted adventures and encounters for multiple 3rd party publishers in addition to devious player options appearing in both Paizo and 3rd party products.

When I’m not writing, running, or playing role-playing games, I enjoy narrative-based video games, musical theatre, and spending time with my wife and our adorable cat.

Fan: Douglas MacIntyre aka ShadowsOverScotland

I have been playing rpgs for over two decades since a silly one off game of Attack of the Moonstruck Mutton (never has mint sauce been so effective) and now help with the organized play campaign for Paizo RPGs across Scotland. I have started branching out to GM online and on play by (discord) post. Outside of Gaming (tabletop, video, board, larp, anything else going) my social identity is as a IT developer.

Today’s Question

“Your paperwork is set and ready to go. All the material is on-hand and ready. Sometime in the next hour, all of your friends will arrive and the fun will begin. Tonight, you’ve got something extra special planned for your gaming group; you’d be nervous if you didn’t have a wealth of experience under your belt.”

Are you more of a GM or a player? What’s unique about your style as such, and what’s your style look like when you go above and beyond in it?

Answers

Adam: I primarily enjoy my role at the table as a player rather than a GM. I’ve done my fair share of GMing in the past, but gosh y’all—that’s a lot of work! Kidding aside, people have found it odd that as a creator and game designer I don’t particularly enjoy being the one to lead the narrative. It seems that many of my peers are not only phenomenal GMs, but they also prefer to be the ones crafting the tale at the table or being in control of the experience. I feel like I get to do that enough at work and in my writing, so it’s relaxing to sit back and enjoy someone else’s tale. Maybe I’m just lazy?

As a GM, I’ve always tended to customize things for the individual characters so that they truly feel like the big damned stars. I don’t think I have any special style or whatever. I don’t use GM screens and roll out in the open most of the time. I also GM while standing, which I guess not everyone does. I like that it not only makes me more mobile at the table in case I need to move figures around or glance at a character sheet, but it also allows you to command the attention at the table better—something very important if you have a table of jackals.

All that said, as a player I tend to play helper characters. I’m often the bard or cleric, and my characters tend to have personalities that lend to helping out the rest of the group in one way or another. I’ve never had a taste for lone wolves, playing against type, or just being difficult with the party dynamic. Because of this, my characters don’t only lend aid, but I’d like to think that I aid the GM as well. I focus on keeping the narrative going and not “going left” when it’s obvious that the meat of the story is elsewhere. I also try to keep the story clear and remind people of hints and bits of the story that folks might have overlooked. Essentially, I try to foster fun and help tell a great collaborative story. That is what this hobby is all about after all.

Some of this approach has come out in my work. While I always aim to develop an adventure in a way that makes it clear and easy for someone to run it, I also constantly think about the player experience. While the GM is the one carrying the load, they are certainly outnumbered at the table and after all everyone at the table is a player, even if one person is leading.

Vanessa: I’m a very cinematic storyteller. Between my Film and Television degree and a penchant for being overly dramatic, I see role playing games very visually in my mind’s eye. When I’m running a game, I try and craft an imaginary experience for each person at the table with the hopes that they can feel like they’re watching their characters in a long-running series. The action is always dramatic, and time compresses or extends as it best fits the story.

There are times when I’ll describe the rogue slow-motion back-flipping over an ogre before stabbing them in the kidney. Why? Because it’s cool. Because as the GM, I’m sort of acting as the Director and Producer of this game and that’s the camera shot I’d ask my DP to set up for me. I’ve even described the arrow’s eye view as it sails through the air, past an ally’s head (who was creating cover), through a blade barrier (more cover) and directly into the eye of a target (critical hit!), all the way up until the reflection of the arrowhead in the monster’s pupil. It’s these moments that really extend the victories of the PCs in a game beyond “I confirm and deal 47 damage.”

When I set out to run a game, I aim for the epic blockbuster.

Douglas: For an age, I was a bit too intimidated to GM so I would play and throw myself into it, but over the last 10 years I have ended up behind the screen more and more until now I end up running the games more than I end up playing and even feel comfortable doing it.  My GMing style has come from these roots, I end up trying to prep as much as I can to be ready for whatever I am running due to some strange overcompensating quirk. This ends up showing itself with constructing big lumps of scenery, having the minis or pawns and cards for any weird and wonderful spells the NPCs are likely to use as part of the session. The main reason for this is the same idea as taking 20: you go through the best and worst of it so I had sessions where I literally forgot the adventure and had to trek back home for it while in others have been prepped with all the cool scenery for a big battle and everything goes like clockwork.

Its tougher to pin down when my GMing goes above and beyond because it’s mostly due to great cooperation with the players where it really shines, the scenery and minis and all are just set pieces but when everyone feels that investment to what is going on in that moment of the game. I have never been one to stand over a table but it is always great when the game demands everyone’s attention without it;  you get the big impressive scene or battle that gets everyone is tuned in as a group (without background off topic chatter or phones).

If one of the PCs happens to go down at the time though, it does help get everyone’s attention….

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. What’s your style as a GM or as a player? Leave a comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Stephen Glicker, Roll For Combat Owner & GM

Stephen Glicker first got into tabletop gaming after getting the Dungeons & Dragons “blue box” edition … which was so old it didn’t even come with dice! Instead, there was a piece of laminated paper with numbers ranging from 1 to 20. The player was instructed to carefully cut out the number chits, put them into a cup, and whatever number was pulled from the cup was your “roll.” Despite this poor excuse for a d20, Stephen was instantly hooked and has been playing and developing RPGs ever since. He’s played every version of D&D under the sun, GMed nearly a dozen Adventure Paths (including the infamous Age of Worms), and most recently developed for Paizo for both Starfinder and Pathfinder 2^nd Edition.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Ryan Costello

26 years ago, the most exciting experience on a school whale watching trip was being introduced to Dungeons & Dragons. Before the trip was done, I’d concocted my first adventure. Less than a week later, I ran my first session with classmates who were relative strangers (one of which eventually introduced me to my future wife Tina at a 3.0 game). 14 years after that/12 years ago, I started a D&D podcast and review site that grew into the modern day Know Direction Network. Which means sometime in the next two years I’ll have been podcasting for half the time I’ve been a gamer. Neat!

The extensive backlog of audio available on this site shows that there isn’t much I won’t go into, but one story that I don’t think is anywhere in audio form is the time me and my friend adopted* a three-wheeled grocery cart, named it Backstop after one of my favourite GI Joes, and kept at his house to store our unopened Warhammer 40K boxes. When his mom made us get rid of it, I walked about two hours to bring it to my house. I wrote this into a screenplay that I never produced called Backstop Rules.

*We stole it.

Fan: Andrew Mullen

I started TTRPGs in 2013  thanks to some coworkers, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and the opportunity to play a friendly agrarian wizard. When we later started Pathfinder’s Reign of Winter Adventure Path, I got really into it and wrote short fiction about our sessions. A couple years and Know Direction “how to freelance” recordings later, I’m a part-time domesitician and part-time freelance RPG writer; I’m always at the kitchen counter, either pecking away at my laptop or cooking!

Today’s Question

“You wake up several hours before you’d like with a thirst for something from the kitchen. Your feet stumble their way from the bedroom toward your mouth’s goals, but your small toe find’s purchase on the most outlandishly hard furniture-leg any pinkie toe has ever experienced. Reflexively, you pull your foot back as fast as you can—a little too fast, in fact, as your head decides to make another purchase: the ground. You wake a few hours later with vision that takes a moment to focus. It doesn’t take long to notice something strange though. The first person you see has a floating stat block behind them! Name, ancestry, class, special abilities, attributes, and skill scores are all listed in plain text. You wipe your eyes in disbelief, but the crunch remains. Another person enters your view. Another stat block. A car speeds by; a stat block speeds by. It doesn’t take long for you to get curious and search for a mirror. Sure enough, your own stat block is there too.”

As you read the stat block that accompanies you, this you: the real-life you, most things as are as you would expect them to be. Your name is your name. Your attributes and skills all make sense to you. But what is listed under ‘class?’ What class would you be in TTRPG terms and why?
 

Answers

Stephen: Okay, this question is just freaky as I’ve been on a kick recently where I’ve been reading nothing but LitRPG books for the past year. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, it’s fairly new and stands for “Literary Role-Playing Games” and combines my two greatest loves – the gaming conventions of RPGs with science-fiction and fantasy novels. A key aspect of this genre is that throughout the story, all RPG statistics are visible to the main protagonist and continue throughout the novel. Hence, I’ve been thinking about this very question for quite some time now as I believe everyone who reads these novels begins to think about their stats and abilities if they were dropped into a world such as these.

Nearly all of these books start the same way – the main protagonist is someone (or a group of someones) from Earth and then gets transported into an MMORPG game world/fantasy world/VR simulation, has to learn the rules of the world, and then fight for their lives. Throughout the novel going on quests, raising their level, stats, abilities, and gear is an intricate part of the adventure. One central theme throughout the many novels I have read in this genre is that the main protagonist is often “special” and is significantly more powerful than the “average” PC within the game world. In D&D terms, think of the main protagonist playing a gestalt character while everyone else is running around with a 15-point build (or less).

With that, I would expect my character would be a Fighter/Wizard combo. Yeah, I know, this is the wimpy way out, but who wouldn’t want to be the master of both magic AND fighting? Everyone dreams of being able to cast spells, so being able to do that with my “new you” is a no brainer. However, a magic-user is always weak when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, and with no guarantee of a supporting group of allies, fighter! One needs to be able to go toe-to-toe against any enemy in a proper fight, and then finish them off with some sneaky magic! With this combo, I should be able to last in this new world for quite some time and learning new magic spells, and fighting techniques should keep me occupied for quite some time!

Oh yes, and if you are looking to start reading LitRPG, I would recommend The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga by Aleron Kong and Life Reset by Shemer Kuznits. Happy reading!

Ryan: My first thought was “Bard”.

My second thought was “Is that arrogant?”

My third thought was “Wait, why would saying I’m a bard in real life be arrogant?”

Arrogance aside, I’m pretty confident I’d go with bard even if I had more familiarity with other systems. Podcasting is basically Perform (Oratory) with global reach.  I know a little bit about a lot of things, mostly from stumbling across them, so that’s bardic knowledge and lore master in flavour and crunch.  I am encouraging in a variety of ways in my roles as friend and owner of the network. Really, going down the list of class features, I could make a case for all of them except the musical ones, playing the spoons in a high school talent show aside.

The clincher is a bard’s access to hideous laughter. My talent for wordplay is well known, both by its fans and its enemies. I’ve often been cursed out through giggles for exceptionally bad (read: good) puns. As much as some people want to believe they are the lowest form of humour, they can’t resist my charm.

 Andrew: Wait, I have to figure out what class I am? That means honestly assessing my capabilities—that’s not what writers do! We flail our arms and give in to imposter syndrome! But I suppose I’ll try anyways. While I’d love to go with bard, given my abiding love of puns, let’s go with Pathfinder 1e’s occultist. Occultists are Intelligence-based spontaneous casters who draw power from psychically resonant objects. They get bonuses to fiddle with magic items and can spend a minute reading their psychic signature to identify them, and they use a pool of mental focus to power various spell-like and supernatural abilities.

I went with occultist because I see them as ponderers, considering objects, people, and presumably just y’know, topics, to figure out what themes and emotions drive them. I tend to get lost in thought a lot, taking the factors that play into something and tumbling them around in my head. This is great for writing ‘cause it helps me dig down to base principals, such as when I’m cooking up a monster’s ecological niche or creating a fictional society. But it’s got its drawbacks. I can spend way too much time thinking about a thing rather than just doing it! I also like checking out weird stuff (aka magic items) and trying to figure out how it works. While at hotel for a con, for example, I got immensely distracted by a switch that didn’t seem to connect to anything! I traced the electrical conduit all over, but it go anywhere! What really drives home occultist as my class choice, though, is mental focus. I’ve got ADHD, so an exhaustible pool of focus seems way too apt a comparison to pass up.

Hmm. An occultist grabbing a magic item to spend a minute checking it out; an Andrew getting focused on some cool looking trash on the street and trying to figure out where it came from. An occultist using up most of their mental focus by the end of the adventuring day, and evening-time Andrew distractedly investigating Mysterious Hotel Switches. See, occultist is a way better fit than bard!

I’ve heard from my guest writers; now I want to hear from you. Which class would you be IRL and why do you think so? Leave comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

DovahQueen: Bend the Knee

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet today’s guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Stephen Radney-MacFarland aka SRM

I’ve been chucking dice and making stories since those days portrayed in Stranger Things. Hell, I was basically Will, haircut and all, but without all the upside down nonsense. I started working in tabletop games in 2000 at Wizards of the Coast where I managed organize play campaigns, was on the team that developed D&D 3.5e, and served developer for D&D 4e and Star Wars Saga Edition among sundry other things. I’ve been working at Paizo for nearly a decade as a Designer and then the Senior Designer for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but I’m about to strike out on my own, becoming a freelancer and dedicating myself to my new game—Delve.

A little known fact about me—I grew up with Satan. Really.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Randal Meyer

I currently write world building blogs for Know Direction, alternating weekly between Groundbreaking (Pathfinder) and Terraforming (Starfinder), and I have my own blog that is getting neglected in favor of Know Direction. I have been playing TTRPGs (usually a DnD variant) since the 90s, most of which have been home-brewed campaigns as a GM. Outside of writing or playing games, I am constantly tinkering with the way in which I play games or interact with my game group, such as writing web apps or building a custom game table.

Fan: Matt Daley

I’m Matt Daley, writer for Legendary Games and Lost Spheres Publishing best known for the Arcforge and Star Empires lines. A youngster compared to much of the industry, I only began playing tabletop RPGs around 2012. I’ve certainly tried to make up for the late start, however. Beyond gaming, I dabble in a variety of other artistic pursuits ranging from comics to plays radio drama.

Today’s Question

“You’ve been pulling long hours at work, and today was supposed to be your day off. Errands need to be ran; the bank, grocery, and tax assessor’s office all beckon. You get an early start, but decide there’s no reason you can’t treat yourself. The decision is made to alter your course so that your favorite coffee shop is your first stop. You arrive, open the door, and walk into a room that looks dramatically unlike the location you’re used to. Your barista is not here. Despite having no windows, the area is well-light be a multitude of colorful lights. Long silks hang from the ceiling and ornate wooden racks and shelves are organized on the floor in a configuration that resembles aisles. ‘Congratulations!’ a croaky voice beckons. A toad wearing pants walks upright towards you with a hearty smile. ‘You’re our fourty-twelve and eleventyith visitor! As such, you’re allowed one purchase today at 100% off! All that I ask is that you tell your friends to always shop at Samroald’s Travelling Emporium! You’ll have to hurry though; the way back home won’t remain open for long.’ As you look around, you notice that the store is full of armors, weapons, jewelry, clothing, knick-knacks, powder, potions, and all manner of whimsical objects. Behind you, daylight pours in through the glass door which bears the name of your intended coffee shop in mirrored letters. ‘Well, what’ll it be?’”

Samroald has every published magic item from every TTRPG ever made, and he’s going to let you take one back home with you to the real world. What do you take and why?

Answers

Stephen: I’m going to cheat a little. I’m going to take–we can’t really say purchase at a 100% discount…that’s a steal!—the adventurers’ vault. What is that? Well, it’s a pair of boxes that are connected through some sort of extradimensional space similar to one that empowers a bag of holding or a portable hole. In true TARDIS fashion, while the inside of these boxes are more spacious on the inside than they are on the outside, but they’re not by much. The exterior of the box is about a 1-foot square. The interior is about 6 feet long, but otherwise the same dimensions. So what makes it all different? Each side of the extradimensional space is connected to the lid of each pair of boxes. This allows the person with one box to open it, shove things inside, and then close the box and allows the person with the other box to open it, and grab the things the first person put inside.

The adventurers’ vault has been a staple in many of my campaigns when the characters decide to travel to far-flung vistas and is most useful when they decided to roam the planes. It’s a helpful way for adventurers to communicate and even gain much-needed equipment from their friends and patrons when they venture beyond the pale. Adventurers would often place notes in the vault to communicate with distant comrades, along with treasure that could be sold and replace with more useful gear, that would, in turn, be conveyed through the vault. On the off chance that both folks open the box at the same time, it even allowed for more direct communications, but this was harder said than done in a world that lacked compact and synchronized timepieces, and even harder with the erratic time syncs of alien dimensions. That and some of the more exciting twists occurred when enemies of the PCs got ahold of the vault’s connected box. Let me assure you, it was mayhem of the most devious order. Sometimes you just have to shake things up.

And wow-oh-wow, I could really use such convenience in my everyday life. I forget my keys or phone, it’s just a text and a shove rather than fighting traffic. But in the games I ran, the adventurers’ vault really did yeoman’s work in facilitating story and the kind of itemization customization that most players find pleasing for character development in specific systems.

So while not as sexy as the snicker-snack of a vorpal sword or the explosiveness of a necklace of fireballs, it’s incredibly funky practical. I like funky, practical magic.

So, why is this cheating? Well, because it was supposed to be published, but it never was. Back in my Wizard of the Coast D&D 4e days it was renamed and submitted as part of my Adventure’s Vault 2 turnover at my manager’s suggestion, but I guess the developers thought it was dumb or just couldn’t wrap their heads around the extradimensional nature of the items, and cut it was from the final book.

Such is life, but you can bet your favorite d20’s sweet 20th side it’s going to show up in Delve.

Randal: Every time I consider the possibility of obtaining a magic item in the real world, my mind instantly goes meta. “Wait, if this works, then magic is real. If magic is real, then I can become a wizard. If I can become a wizard, where do I sign up!?” I also realize that it might take me awhile to figure that out … years, decades, longer. I am already 40 years old, so I will certainly want to be able to add a few years (decades?, more?) to ensure that I can find a way to learn the basics and then stay alive to master all that I can, because, despite the quick progression our characters often make in games, the vast majority of wizarding lore shows that it is about hard work and dedication over time that makes a wizard powerful.

The current best answer to why our bodies break down as we age is that our cellular regeneration begins to falter and fail over time. The ability to regrow organs and limbs is surely the result of a better, stronger, if not perfect regenerative process. If the body is able to do that, even through magic, then there is no reason for that body to die of old age, cancer, or other process that breaks down the body’s inherent ability to heal or repair itself. Taking bits and pieces of actual science, some fiction, some science fiction, and a dash of lore, I feel like the answer to that longevity would be a ring of regeneration. And since we are working within the framework of any printed TTRPGs, Dresden Files lore states that a wizard’s body regenerates itself better over time than normal humans, which also fits with my thought process. And yes, in addition to wanting to live longer to study magic, I would have quite the collection of minor injuries that I would just love to have go away.

Matt: It would be easy for me to just grab one of many endless-food items and walk away happy. Alas, I have a little mantra I like to call “go big or go home”.

Now, there are a wide variety of magic items one could grab to ensure a life of calm and prosperity, and an even wider variety that would allow you to carve a warpath across reality (think about the average person’s saving throws. A lot of not-worth-it items become absolute nightmares). Quite a few magic items are powerful but are in some way gated by class abilities, and little old me definitely doesn’t have the Wizard levels or Use Magic Device skills to utilize a Staff of the Eldritch Sovereignty (if I did, you could be that it would be my choice). Quite a few others try to take control of you or kill you, and I’m too risk-averse to get anywhere near those.

My item of choice would probably be the Chronicle of the Righteous from the sourcebook of the same name, a magic book that gives me some darn powerful magical abilities (Greater Planar Binding and Summon Monster VII 3/day) while also informing me of the specific, objective nature of Good in the universe (giving me a leg up in pretty much every philosophical conversation I will have from this point onward). On top of that, I can literally make anyone into a better person by whacking them with this handy tome (again, the average person has a pretty poor will save).

A celestial army, a weapon that makes people better, and the moral high ground in literally everything I do from that point on. What’s not to love?

I’ve heard from my guest writers, but I want to hear from you. Which magic item would you pluck from Samroald’s shop? Leave comment below, on our Discord, or on Know Direction’s Facebook page.

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.

Creative Commons credit: Homunculus Store by AldoK

DovahQueen: Bend the Knee

Since 2015, the DovahQueen has been taking your questions and giving advice to improve your games. Now the tables are turned in this DovahQueen series; Loren is asking the questions and a panel of three guests—an RPG-industry veteran, a Know Direction network staff member, and a fan—answers. It’s time to Bend the Knee!

First, let’s meet our guests.

Guests
RPG Industry Veteran: Robert Brookes

I’m Robert Brookes, contributor to the Pathfinder RPG and creator of the Aethera Campaign Setting, ditch-digger, word-writer, and other sundries. I’ve also directed an independent film, worked in video games, and probably other stuff I’ve long since forgotten.

Know Direction Network Staff Member: Cathy Dolan (Online alias: Imladra)
I’ve been playing tabletop rpgs for…I’m not sure, really. 15 years? Maybe? I started with D&D, but these days, it’s Pathfinder. Currently, I’m playing Karrock Sena on Adventurous here on Know Direction. You might also have heard me on GeekTogether! Outside of roleplaying, I’m a book-reading, horror-movie-loving geek who was an early childhood educator for 13 years before making the move to my current job at a public library.

Fan: Will Attar (Auntben)

I’m the post-production manager at Laughing Dragon Studios and I’ve been playing Pathfinder since….

probably 2013. I started with organized play and had a short-lived Runelords campaign going. I now mainly GM and am running Hell’s Rebels and Against the Aeon Throne. When I’m not running games, I’m usually playing video games, wood working, video editing as a freelancer, or dealing with the woes of being a homeowner.

Today’s Question

“The stale air of this ancient, dying forest tastes acrid, but you haven’t the time to worry about such unpleasantries. Your party’s boots push dark indents in the soggy soil while you plod your way to the lich’s castle. Xandarion may think he’s got the upper hand, but you know something he doesn’t. The hostage in his dungeon? A plant. It was all part of the plan to allow the old fool to put *this* person behind bars. As you and your comrades near the dilapidated fort, it’s not the life of your agent on the inside that you’re worried about. It’s your own.”

Xandarion’s hostage is your favorite PC or NPC character that you wrote. Who is it and why are they your favorite?

Answers

Robert: As someone who GMs a lot I have too many favorite NPCs to really count. Picking through them is like a parent picking a favorite child, it just isn’t possible. But I don’t often get a chance to play a PC, so the handful of times in the last ten years or so that I have really stick out to me. One in particular was a character I played at my first Paizocon back in… 2011 or 2012? I leapt into the first (and one of the only) times I’ve played Society games and whipped up a tengu summoner with the story summoner archetype named Kutayak Shikrya (Koo-tie-ak She-kree-uh) whose eidolon (back before we had Unchained Summoners!) was a quadrupedal feathered stag with the head of a crow named Shukantayak (Shoe-con-tie-ak) that I played off as a kind of psychopomp.

Kutayak was an excitable, loud character. So loud that I nearly lost my voice the day after playing him the first time while I was shouting over the raucous noise of the Paizocon PFS ballroom. Kutayak is second-generation immigrant from Tian-Xia living in Varisia and a worshipper of Pharasma. I decided the minute I opened my mouth that he’d have a shrill eastern-European accent and was constantly raving about the cards — his harrow cards that he consulted for every in-game choice — while I gestured wildly around the table. I played Kutayak in two PFS scenarios and one session of Emerald Spire a year later at my second Paizocon. Everyone loved his wild antics, and I used the deluxe harrow deck as a prop for his soothsaying. Kutayak was one of those characters that came together as I played him and was just over the top and exaggerated and a little shifty. I think he’s basically become my go-to convention-play character for whatever it is I’m doing. He’s just too entertaining and brings a sense of mystery and amusement to the table.

I just need to, you know, go easier on my vocal cords next time.

Cathy: It’s difficult to pick one pc when I love them all, but in the end I have chosen my most damaged pc to share with you all. Opal Quinn survived the unsurvivable as a young child by the grace of Pharasma, and was deeply scarred emotionally for the rest of her life. She was a Bones Oracle/Harrower who was haunted, chosen by Pharasma herself, wielded incredible power over the undead……and was deep in denial over it all. Items moved around by spirits she had simply ‘misplaced’, noises from spirits were ‘unheard’ and when, panic-stricken, she demanded that undead turn around and leave her alone, it was ‘coincidence’ when they did. Mostly emotionless and deadpan, Opal’s only real display of feelings was when forcibly confronted with undead and/or cannibalism. (Don’t ask…..or do! A story for another day?)

I often play characters with connections to a god, but Opal is my only character who refused to acknowledge it. It was great fun playing a character who stubbornly clung to the idea that she was just a circus fortune-teller with some clever tricks, and not an incredibly powerful woman saved and blessed by a goddess of death. It was also a challenge to portray someone fairly emotionless who tried to keep up a façade of saying and doing the expected things in order to make others feel more comfortable around her, while still being clearly ‘off’ as a result of her childhood trauma. And, of course, as a lover of horror, Opal was a way to incorporate that love in a slightly different way than I had in the past.

Will: Who is the hostage eh? Since I mainly GM, I don’t have a ton of characters that I’ve played. I have a ton in the tank ready to go though. I love all my characters but Ol’ F’st, my half orc monk and my first ever character is probably my favourite. He’s big, quiet, pensive, and deflects arrows out of the air wonder woman style. If he were to get captured, he’d be in there biding his time and then smash out of those chains and get to work. No one would have to worry about him for too long. Out of everyone I’ve played, he was the easiest to fall into and the most fun the play.

In terms of an NPC I’ve made, my favourites are based on player reaction and attachment. Right now, my top guy would be the Tour Guide of Dunrok Prison in Vyre: the orphan Half Orc Kenneth Parcell. He’s completely based on Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock and seems totally delightful but will occasionally off handedly say something straight out of nightmares like it’s no big deal. If this guy were being held hostage, he’d enjoy every second of it. He may also get Stockholm syndrome within the first 5 minutes. You never know with Kenneth!

Each Bend the Knee features three guest writers. One is from the RPG industry. Another is from the Know Direction network. The third guest could be you! Leave a comment on Know Direction’s Facebook, Discord, or Twitter, or you can send an email to DearDovahQueen@gmail.com for your chance to be featured on the next Bend the Knee or Dear DovahQueen.