Here’s a rundown of the episode:

• 00:43: - Heard Any Good Rumours Lately? News from the Planes.
• 03:25 + Off To The Races: This episode features Half-elves
• 08:52 + You So Classy! This episode, we’re looking at the Ranger
• 18:30 + Background Check: Guild Artisan
• 23:16 + Monster Menagerie: The Hook Horror
• 29:56 + Lore Academy: The Underdark

Total runtime - 34:56 

Sources & further reading:

Half Elf - PHB: 38-39

Ranger - PHB: 89-93, XGTE: 40-43, SCAG: 133-134

Guild Artisan - PHB: 132-133

Hook Horror - MM: 189

LinksNews

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/lrdtobD&D Beyond - Legends of Runeterra: Dark Tides of Bilgewater

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/316467/The-Book-of-Weird-Magic- The Book of Weird Magic by Oliver Clegg 

https://www.dndbeyond.com/marketplace/sourcebooks/mythic-odysseys-of-theros?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=moot&utm_campaign=TOF_+D%26D%2BMTG&utm_content=spider-+preorder&fbaid=23844632008460174&fbclid=IwAR3O09bVyZDKqt0rKkSpD5VMm8qgbz55CEuSpCbjIpTIomQmC6t6UheEQXI- Mythic Odysses of Theros on D&D Beyond

Underdark areas 

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Underdark- FR Wiki on the Underdark

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Buried_Realms- FR Wiki on the Buried Realms

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Darklands- The Darklands

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Deep_Wastes- The Deep Wastes

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Earthroot - Earthroot

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Glimmersea- Glimmersea

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Great_Bhaerynden- Great Bhaerynden

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Northdark- Northdark

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Old_Shanatar - Old Shanatar

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Great_Rift- the Great Rift

Underdark denizens

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Phaerimm - Phaerimm

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Aboleth- Aboleth

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Kuo-toa - Kuo-toa

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sahuagin -Sahuagin

Episode Transcript

Cold open

Welcome to I Cast Pod, a D&D podcast about creating characters, taking chances, rolling dice and having fun. I’m Mike, your DM and guide to all things dungeonesque and dragon-y. 

In this episode, we’re talking about Half-elves, rangers, guild artisans, hook horrors and the Underdark! So let’s get started!

Heard Any Good Rumours Lately?

We made it to ten episodes! That’s not including the 2 bonus episodes so far. If you’re listened to all 12, I want to thank you personally for coming on this journey with me. I’ve had almost 200 unique listeners, according to my stats, and they’ve come from all over the world. I’ve had listeners from the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, Iran, the Netherlands, Uruguay, and Australia! Wow. Thanks so much for listening, and here’s hoping you stick with me for the next ten shows!

Fans of Summoner’s Rift - rejoice! 

D&D and the League of Legends universe are getting a crossover in the form of, “Legends of Runeterra: Dark Tides of Bilgewater. This is a mini campaign with details of the Runeterra region of Bilgewater, including 3 new subclasses: Path of the Depths Barbarian, Renegade Fighter who has a firearm, and a Wild Card rogue, and new monsters and items recognisable to any LoL or Legends of Runeterra players. I’ve played a little bit of League and some Legends of Runterra, so I’m interested to see this setting. It’s available now - for FREE from D&D Beyond. It’s already in my Sources on D&D Beyond, and I literally can’t think of any good reason for it not to be in yours, probably by the end of my sentence. Apart from your internet is down, but then how are you listening to this? Ah, downloaded for later listening. Of course. Well hop on as soon as it’s back up then! Direct link in the show notes.

The Book of Weird Magic 

I mean… you’ve already sold me, but go on:

From the makers of “The Book of Bad Magic,” - Another one for the list!

Oliver Clegg has created a book of 21 weird and freaky subclasses for 5e, like:

• The Cat Domain Cleric who has an uncanny ability to climb, or see things others don’t.
• A Fighter with tentacles for arms - does that make them a bi-pod?
• Monks who reject gravity the way others would reject third helpings at the salad bar.
• Paladins who swear oaths to storytelling - a likely tale!
• Rogues that can replace one of their hands with a hand of glory - sounds kinda gory!

Which, for under $8, sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Available through the DM’s Guild - direct link in the show notes.

Mythic Odysses of Theros

is on D&D Beyond from today! I covered it way back in Episode 3, so go listen to that episode for more details.

Off to the RacesHalf-elf

Half-elves are said to combine the best qualities of both races: The artistic nature, refined senses, and love of nature of the elves, and the inventiveness, ambition and curiosity of humans, with either side balancing and tempering the other. Coming from two worlds sometimes means not fully belonging to either. Half-elves that live among humans may find attachments difficult - watching their human parent, as well as friends, succumb to the ravages of time and eventually, death - while they remain largely unchanged. Humans think half-elves look like elves, and generally treat them as such in any dealings between them.

Conversely, Half-elves who live among the elves find that they have reached adulthood while their previous peers are still living as children and older elves still thinking of the half-elves as such. The elves think half-elves look human and also treat them as such.

Half elves mature at approximately the same rate as humans, and reach adulthood at around 20, but live much longer lives than humans - often they live over 180 years.

This can lead to feeling disavowed by both societies and half-elves sometimes flit between them, finding neither the welcome nor the feeling of belonging that they crave, and many would say - deserve. This can be further worsened by the fact that half-elves born into human settlements are most often given elven names, and of course half-elves born into elven communities are generally given human names, further marking them out as different from those around them. Half-elves have no territories or lands of their own, although they are generally allowed to mingle in human cities without too much bother. They are generally less welcome in elven forests. Those that integrate into society, generally find uses for their natural charisma and social skills, earning them professions as disperate as swindlers or diplomats. (And of course there are always those who state that the two are the same, or close enough as makes no difference.) 

Half elves inherit their love of personal freedom and creative expression from their elven parents. They generally neither desire followers nor wish to follow leaders, and balk at rules. Their resentment of having to do what others say can lead them to becoming unpredictable, or at worst, unreliable and as such, they tend towards chaotic alignments.

Occasionally there are enough half-elves in a human settlement to form small communities, and half-elves enjoy the company of others like themselves. Within their own kind they can find understanding and solace, empathy and kinship with others who have known the difficulties they face. They can discuss problems and issues dealing with other races with others who have gone through the same, and gain advice and wisdom of how to proceed with not only that issue, but also with their lives in general. Unfortunately, not all human settlements contain half elves, and even fewer elf societies harbour them. A half-elf might spend years living in the same place or even wandering without meeting another.

Consequently, many half-elves choose to spend mostly solitary lives, either within another society, or else leading the life of a wanderer, taking the open road as travelling companion. Other take trades in solitary professions, like trappers, foresters, hunters and others, that allow them to spend swathes of time away from societies and the tangled web of problems they can be for half-elves. And of course, some take to the adventuring life, where other misfits, outcasts and non-conformists make up the larger part of the community, and can feel welcome.

Half-elves are physically similar to both races, usually between 5-6ft tall. They are generally around the same height as humans or elves, with their build coming somewhere in-between the slender elves and the broader humans, giving them an average weight of 100-180lbs. Half-elf men can grow facial hair and some choose to hide their elven ancestry by growing a beard and covering their ear tips with helmets, hats, headbands, headscarves or other coverings. In terms of skin tone, they can inherit the full range of tones from either parent, giving them a wider range of colouration than either race alone. Their eyes tend to take after their elven parent, and they gain darkvision from this fact. They tend to be afflicted with the wanderlust that their elven kin also suffer - a product of their long lives, which is exacerbated by their human curiosity and ambition.

Considering all this, when creating a half-elf, consider the backgrounds of hermit, outlander, entertainer, charlatan, or even sage - as all of these could play to either a charismatic, socially aware character, or else one who prefers to spend much of their time alone.

Stat Block

• Cha +2, and you can increase two other ability scores of your choice by 1.
• Alignment - normally chaotic.
• Size - Medium
• Speed - 30ft
• Darkvision - 60ft
• Fey Ancestry - Half-elves have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic cannot put them to sleep. 
• Skills - Proficiency in two skills of choice.
• Languages - Common, Elvish and one other language of choice.

You So ClassyRanger

Ask someone who their favourite Ranger is, and these are the likely answers:

• Drizzt Do’Urden
• Minsc
• Laeral Silverhand
• Hank
• Aaragorn, son of Arathorn
• Sylvanas Windrunner
• Paul Gascoigne, the English soccer player who played for the team Queen’s Park Rangers, which I think - not being a football fan myself - makes them sound like they should be working for the Forestry Commission.
• or: What the hell is a ranger?

And you can tell a lot about a person by their answer. Let me know how many you got out of 8, on Twitter, where I’m @Icastpod. If you need the questions again, rewind - but don’t forget to listen to the rest of the show afterward!

Rangers in D&D follow a similar pattern to Aaragorn from the LotR books, or actually are they more like Legolas? I’ll leave that for you to debate, because according to my brief research, hoo-boy, there’s a lot of people debating how to assign D&D classes to LotR characters.

Anyway, known as “warriors of the wilderness,” Rangers do battle with creatures in the wild, be it ogres, giants, murderous beasts or pillaging raiders. They are master trackers, able to follow quarry as a predator; move silently through the underbrush, and stealthily creep up on targets to deliver a killing blow. They can take a particular prey as ‘favoured’ and cast nature spells, that emphasise speed, stealth and the hunt, to complement their already stellar skills in those areas of combat. 

A ranger may make the main part of their income from subsidiary talents, like hunting and skinning, selling the hides to tanners - the meat for the pot, to share with their animal companion. Or they might work as a guide, safely delivering those who would pass through wild lands, unscathed. They may sell their skills as a tracker too, but the main tenet Rangers hold to is to protect civilisation from attacks at its outskirts. Sometimes they may join up with groups of Druids, if their objectives align. Many Rangers prefer solitude, or a pet companion. Was that why your character became a ranger? To escape society, maybe to be alone after a terrible tradgedy? Or was it a calling to protect the wilds from those who would harm it? Looking to be the first and last required line of defence for civilisation, Rangers’ fierce independence, skillset and outlook make them ideal adventurers. Used to sleeping on hard ground, and getting into tussles with creatures of varying types kind of comes with the job.

The most important stats to a Ranger are Dex and Wis, but there are options with to build a two weapon fighting style, which should focus on Str as primary. To make a quick build, use these guidelines and choose the outlander background, which you can hear more about in episode 7.

The first mechanic Rangers get is the favoured enemy and terrain features. From 1st level, your previous experience in tracking and hunting a particular type of creature allows you to choose a favoured enemy, from:

• Abberations
• Beasts
• Celestials
• Constructs
• Dragons
• Elementals
• Fey
• Fiends
• Giants
• Monstrosities
• Oozes
• Plants
• Undead
• Or you can choose two humanoid races, like Goblins and Orcs.

You get advantage on all Wis (Survival) checks to track favoured enemies, and on intelligence checks to recall information about them. You also learn one language spoken by your favoured enemy. You can add additional favoured enemies at 6th and 14th levels. Take into account that you will be meeting different types of monsters as you level up.

For favoured terrain, your time in the wilds has made you adept at travelling and surviving in a particular type of environment. You can choose from:

• Arctic
• Coastal
• Desert
• Forest
• Grassland
• Mountain
• Swamp
• or the Underdark - more on this one later…

When making an Int or Wis ability check related to your favoured terrain, you add double your proficiency bonus if using a skill you’re proficient in. 

When travelling for more than an hour in your favoured terrain:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group
• Your group can’t become lost, except by magic
• You remain alert to danger, even if otherwise occupied doing things like foraging, navigating or tracking
• If travelling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace - this includes travelling with an animal companion if playing the Beastmaster archetype.
• You find twice as much food as normal while foraging
• While tracking, you learn the number of creatures, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area

You choose additional favoured terrains at 6th and 10th levels.

At second level, you adopt a fighting style, from:

• Archery - Gives you a +2 to attack with ranged weapons
• Defence - Gives a +1 to AC while wearing armour
• Duelling - Gives a +2 to damage rolls when wielding a single melee weapon in one hand
• Two-weapon fighting - You can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack

At second level, you gain spellcasting abilities. Your spells are nature-based, similar to Druid’s. To start with you know 2 first level spells of your choice from the list, with matching spell slots. As with all casters, you expend a spell slot in order to cast a spell, but get all slots back after a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability. Your spell attack mod is your Wis mod+prof bonus. Your spell save DC is 8+Wis mod+prof bonus.

At third level, you choose a Ranger archetype. The PHB lists Hunter and Beast Master. XGTE adds Gloom Stalker, Monster Slayer and Horizon Walker.

• Hunter - Gives you choices of extra attack reactions, extra damage, or an extra attack against a different creature within 5ft of the first one you attacked, provided the second is in range of your weapon. You also get a choice of defensive tactics that can cripple opportunity attacks against you, give a +4 bonus to AC against a single creature after it has hit you, or advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Later levels bring multi-attacks of varying types.
• Beast Master - You gain a beast companion that obeys your commands and you’ve trained it to fight alongside you. Initial choices are hawk, panther, and mastiff, or any creature no larger than medium and a CR of 1/4 or lower. You can add your prof bonus to the beast’s AC, attack and damage rolls, as well as any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. It shares your initiative, but doesn’t take an action unless you command it to. You can command it where to move without using an action, and can use an action to command it to Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help. Once you gain an extra attack at level 5, you can attack yourself and command your companion to attack too. If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, prioritising protecting you and itself. It can take reactions, such as opportunity attacks, by itself. If your beast dies, you can spend 8 hours magically bonding with a new...