Here’s a rundown of the episode:

• 00:43 + Heard Any Good Rumours Lately? News from the Planes.
• 03:31 + Off To The Races: This episode features 
• 08:54 + You So Classy! This episode, we’re looking at
• 16:27 + Background Check: 
• 18:23 + Monster Menagerie: 
• 22:18+ Lore Academy: 

Total runtime 29:57

899 4 2 161

Sources & further reading: 

Half-orc: PHB - 40-41

Rogue: PHB - 94-98; SCAG: 134-136; XGTE: 44-47

Folk Hero: PHB - 131-132

Intellect Devourer: MM - 191

LinksNews

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/icewind-dale-rime-frostmaiden- WotC page on Rime of the Frostmaiden

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/fiction/comicsgraphic-novels/spine-world- At the Spine of the World

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/icewind-dale-diceIcewind Dale Dice and Miscellany

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/icewind-dale-platinum- Beadle and Grimm’s Platinum Edition

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/miniatures/icewind-daleWizKids Icewind Dale Icons of the Realms

Illithids

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mind_flayerFR Wiki on Mind Flayers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSc17QXxfyU Baldur’s Gate 3 Live Gameplay Presentation - includes opening cinematic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hU6UJX_pcFirst gameplay demo of BG3, featuring combat with Intellect Devourers.

Syrinscape

https://syrinscape.com - syrinscape tabletop audio.

Episode TranscriptCold 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 Icewind Dale, Half-orcs, Rogues, Folk Heros, Illithids and Intellect Devourers.

Heard Any Good Rumours Lately?

There’s a new sourcebook coming! Icewind Dale: The Rime of the Frost Maiden ties in with not only R. A. Salvatore’s Icewind Dale trilogy of novels - the first he wrote containing the Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, but also it apparently has some tie in to the upcoming Dark Alliance game. (And presumably the previous Icewind Dale CRPG,) Touted as a horror adventure module, with 320 pages and over 50 stat blocks contained within - the most in any 5e module so far, several of which will be for the Frostmaiden Auril, herself as she can appear in various forms. Journey to the frozen wastes of the far north, to the communities of Ten-Towns and help defeat an ancient evil, brave blizzards, fish for Knucklehead trout or participate in an as-yet unnamed Goliath sport! The release date is Sept 15th and it should retail for $49.99.

Want more Icewind Dale? IDW Publishing is going to be releasing At the Spine of the World on 21st Oct. The comic is set in Iceland Dale and features Saarvin, a Dragonborn Ranger, facing off against feral beasts, blizzards and a strange madness that has gripped the residents of Ten-Towns. 

Still not enough? Well prepare for your adventure in Icewind Dale with Rime of the Frostmaiden Dice and Miscellany, which features eleven frosty looking dice, a foldout map of Icewind Dale and Ten-Towns, a felt lined box that doubles as two dice trays, and twenty double sided cards with descriptions and illustrations of creatures and characters from the area. The set is due to release on the 15th Sept for around $30.

What? More? What makes you think…? Ok fine. Wizkids is releasing a tie-in Mini set, also in Sept. Packs contain chilling new monsters like the Tomb Tapper and Abominable Yeti, denizens of Ten-Towns like the Reghed Nomads, and even include the many forms of the Frostmaiden herself for you to encounter - if you dare. There are 45 figures to collect and packs cost $16.99

Got money to burn? Consider treating yourself to The Beadle & Grimm’s Rime of the Frostmaiden platinum edition. It comes with a custom DM screen, full scale battle maps, exclusive encounter cards, In-world handouts, high quality wearables, and original artwork. With a limited run of 1000 copies at $499, it’s a steal and the perfect gift for your favourite D&D podcaster. cough What? Nothing, I didn’t say anything.

Off to the RacesHalf-Orc

In D&D, alliances between Orcs and humans are not unheard of. Sometimes they unite to band together against some force that threatens both of them, sometimes an uneasy truce descends over the two factions after many years of brutal and bloody war. Whatever the reason, intermarriage is sometimes the seal that bonds the two tribes together. From these unions, half-orcs are born. 

The one-eyed god Gruumsh created the orcs and for the most part, reigns supreme over them. Even orcs that deny the god his due worship, for whatever reason, can still feel the fingers of his influence snaking their way into their lives, and the lives of half-orcs are not exempt. It may be that they hear whispers from the god in their slumber, or they feel the thrill of Gruumsh’s elation surge through them, as they enter the fray of the melee - washing over them like a tide. Some take the feeling as a sign, and come back to Gruumsh’s fold, while others interpret it as an ill omen, and shy away from doing Gruumsh’s will.

Orcs are not inherently evil, but there is an aspect of it within their hearts. Some follow to see where it leads, and others rebel, by trying to do good in the world.

Aside from Gruumsh’s influence, half-orcs feel emotions more intensely than their human counterparts. Rage feels like a burning sensation all over their skin. Insults sting like a freshly-slapped face, and melancholia drains them of energy. Half-orcs feel everything this way so delight in partaking in activities that spread pleasure through their bodies, like laughing raucously; drinking; wrestling and dancing feverishly to the pulsing throb of drums that reverberate in their guts. 

Half-orcs tend to be slaves to their tempers, and can sometimes descend into sullen episodes, but most often they like to act instead of spending long hours in contemplation. This hotheaded nature often leads to fighting, either with other tribes, races or even within their own groups. Those who can master their emotions stand the best chance of becoming leaders - chiefs or even ambassadors between clans or races, utilising their human heritage to their advantage.

Some half-orcs prefer the company of humans, living in human societies, who are more likely to accept them than other racial societies, apart from orcs themselves, of course. Generally half-orcs will be given names appropriate to the society they are born into, but some will take on new names in later life - sometimes to better fit in with new surroundings, or occasionally half-orcs raised in human societies will take on an orc name, pronounced in a guttural way to emblazon their heritage for all to hear or simply, because they find that humans find such names intimidating.

To ingratiate themselves, some half-orcs will demonstrate a patient and reserved nature, above and beyond even the humans they mingle with, while others withdraw, trying not to draw attention to themselves. Still others play up on their toughness and try to be so unapproachable that others leave them alone.

Orcs value scars. Battle scars are marks of pride to be displayed, and scarification as beautification and adornment is commonplace. Scarring is also used to mark slaves and outcasts - exiled orcs and half orcs are branded to show their persona non grata status, and declare it wherever they go. A half orc will almost always have scars if it has been around orcs enough. Those that involve tales of domination on the battlefiled may be displayed proudly, even within human societies, whereas those that tell of crushing defeats or time spent as a slave or exile will probably be covered or otherwise hidden.

Half-orcs tend to have greyish skin tones, sloping foreheads, and larger builds than humans - standing at around 5 to 7 ft tall and weighing 180-250 lbs. 

Half-orcs make good adventurers. Strong and hardy, and with a savage, furious edge to their combat, they are ideally suited for a life of battles and skirmishes. The obvious choices for a half-orc character are Fighter or Barbarian, with Rogue down at the bottom of the list, but could also make for great Paladins, with their inherent sense of honour and martial skills.

Stat Block

• Half-orcs benfit from a +2 to Str and a +1 to Con
• Half-orcs reach adulthood at around 14 years, ageing noticeably faster than humans and rarely living past 75.
• They inherit a chaotic nature from their orc parent, and are not naturally predisposed towards good. Half-orcs that live with orcs may tend towards evil.
• Size = medium
• Speed: 30ft
• Darkvision: 60ft
• Proficiency in Intimidation
• Relentless endurance - When you are reduced to 0hp and are not killed, you drop to 1hp instead. This can be used once between long rests.
• Savage attacks - when you crit with a melee weapon, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice twice and add the result to your damage roll.
• Languages: Common and Orc. (Orc has no written form, but borrows the Dwarvish script.) 

You So ClassyRogue

One of my personal favourite classes to play, Rogues are all about stealth, hit-and-run tactics and burst damage that focuses down single targets with surprising speed and agility, and escaping back into the shadows. Masters of turning the tide of battle to their advantage, Rogues seek out vulnerabilities in their opponent’s armour and tactics to maximise the effectiveness of their strikes. They are versatile and heavily skilled, acting with keen resourcefulness and a measured approach. 

Rogues can specialise their skillset, with some focussing on stealth, or deception, or physical skills like climbing, discovering and disarming traps, opening locks, or use of poisons. 

Most cities will have at least a handful of Rogues. Many of them will earn an illicit living as burglars and thieves, cutpurses, assassins, and confidence tricksters, but others will earn a staple from a legitimate occupation, such as locksmith, investigator, or exterminator. Remembering that sewers in Toril crawl with worse things than rats and roaches, exterminators in D&D have a harder time of it than those of our world. 

Although most Rogues work as independents, many will hire an assistant or lackey for some jobs and/or heists and there are Thieves’ Guilds in most major metropolitan areas, which Rogues will usually be affiliated with in order to gain information, seek shelter if on the run from the local guards, or just mingle with their own kind. 

Some Rogues eschew the Thieves Guild and instead devote themselves to a particular crime family, performing tasks as diverse as messenger to hitman. 

When serving as adventurers, Rogues occupy a decidedly grey space, morally speaking and their escapades can land them on the side of righteousness as easily as on the wrong side of the law. There will always be those who take to adventuring in order to loot, or otherwise relieve owners of their riches; those who take to adventuring in order to disappear from the vicinity of the eyes of their victims, foes and would-be captors; and those who just fancy the glamour and danger of the lifestyle.

Known for engaging in combat on their terms only, Rogues dart from the depths of shadows, to appear suddenly behind their prey, sliding an edge between the ribs, only to vanish again, as incorporeal as smoke. A Rogue’s main weapon is not their starkly beautiful daggers, nor the caltrops and traps they wield, but their cunning. Their knack of examining a situation and turning it to their own advantage. Rogues look to maximise damage with each strike - preferring one precise slice to a flurry of wild blows, that may only serve to wear down an opponent’s energy reserves. Add to this the Rogue’s uncanny ability to avoid damage, and some bolster those innate abilities with magic.

When creating a Rogue, DEX should be your primary stat, followed by either Intelligence or Charisma. Intelligence is for builds that want to take up the Arcane Trickster archetype, or if you wish to excel at investigation. Charisma is for builds that want to focus on deception and social interaction. For a quick build, choose these stats and the Charlatan background.

From 1st level, you get access to Expertise, which allows you to double your proficiency bonus when you make ability checks, with your choice of two skills, or else one skill and Thieves’ tools.

You also get Sneak Attack, one of the Rogue’s main mechanics, where you can add 1D6 extra damage on attacks made with a finesse or ranged weapon, if you have advantage on the attack roll, or if there is another enemy of the target within 5ft of it - that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the roll. The extra damage scales with levels too, making for a pretty handy burst of extra hurt you can deal out. 

You can also understand Thieves’ Cant, a code used between thieves to mark loot, safe houses, easy prey, dangerous areas or whether a particular Thieves’ Guild operates in the area. Thieves’ Cant is a mixture of secret signs and symbols, code, and dialect that can be hidden in normal conversations, but the conversation will take four times longer than just saying your message plainly.

From second level you get Cunning Action, which allows you to Dash, Disengage, or hide as a bonus action on each turn in combat.

From third level, you choose a Roguish archetype. The PHB lists Thief, Arcane Trickster, and Assassin. The SCAG adds Mastermind and Swashbuckler. XGTE adds Inquisitive and Scout, as well as additional details for Mastermind and Swashbuckler.

• Thief has your skills honed for larceny. You get the ability to use thieves tools as a bonus action to disarm a trap or open a lock; faster climbing ability, advantage on stealth checks provided you move up to a max of half your speed and more at later levels.
• Arcane Trickster bolster their arsenal of tricks with magic of illusion and enchantment. They gain the cantrip mage hand, plus two more of choice from the wizard list, as well as three 1st level wizard spells. Later levels bring abilities to distract, ambush and even learn new spells from other spell casters.
• Assassin trains you to be a killer via poisons, weaponry and stealth. You get advantage against any creature in combat that haven’t taken a turn yet, the ability to create false identities, mimic others’ speech and mannerisms and damage doubling capabilities.
• Mastermind is geared toward those who would be spies, courtiers and the like. You can aid others in combat, gain insight into enemies capabilities, misdirect strikes against you, and more.
• Swashbuckler trains the user in the art of the blade. Rather than hacking away at enemies, your death-dealing almost appears as a dance or performance. You can avoid attacks of opportunity, gain bonuses to Initiative, and can re-roll missed attacks, gaining advantage at the same time.
• Inquisitive No secret is safe from your prying eyes, and you can read others to glean their true intent and root out lies. You study opponents’ tactics to gain advantage during combat and exploit their weaknesses. 
• Scout is adept at stealth and survival, particularly in the wilderness. You can move up to half your speed as a reaction without provoking an attack of opportunity, gain proficiency in the Nature and Survival skills, have advantage on initiative rolls, and extra attacks.

Stat Block

• Hp@ 1st level == 8 +Con mod
• Hp - 1D8 (5) + Con mod/lvl
• Hit Dice - 1D8/lvl

Proficiencies:

• Armour - light armour
• Weapons - simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
• Tools - Thieves’ Tools
• Saving throws: Dex, Int
• Skills: Choose 4 from:
• Acrobatics
• Athletics
• Deception
• Insight
• Intimidation
• Investigation
• Perception
• Performance
• Persuasion
• Sleight of hand
• Stealth
• Equipment:
• A rapier or short sword
• A short bow and quiver of 20 arrows, or short sword
• Burglar’s pack/dungeoneer’s pack/explorer’s pack
• leather armour, two daggers and thieves tools. 

Background Check Folk Hero

A product of humble beginnings, destiny had more in store for you. People from your home think of you as their champion already, and greater things - more glorious battles, hard won victories and the vanquishing of more powerful foes - lies in wait in your future. You stand between the forces of evil and the simple common folk you come from. 

From your simple past life as something like a farmer, miner, servant, or woodcutter, you were propelled into the ranks of local hero by some defining event. Perhaps you stood fast against the tyranny of a local lord, or fought off a wandering monster that threatened your quiet hamlet, or perhaps you spearheaded a ragged militia against a more powerful enemy and won the day? The PHB has several suggestions in a table to either choose from or roll for. 

Rustic Hospitality - You fit in with the common folk, having come from them originally. You can always find a place to rest, hide out, or recuperate among commoners - unless you yourself have proved to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or other forces that may be seeking you, but will not risk their lives for yours - you’re the hero after all, not them. 

Many folk heroes carry the experience of their common life with them, looking on their humble origins as a source of virtue, rather than a shortcoming. Being proud of where you came from is integral to the folk hero way of life and your home communities are still very important to you, although you now find yourself called away to fight for other communities and causes. 

Stat Block

Skill proficiencies: Animal handling, survival

Tool proficiencies: Land vehicles and one type of artisan’s...