We get to meet so many neat people as we've shared our story. This episode is just one person's story, and is well worth listening to. In late 2024, John Rodriguez started a business called Heroes Wanted. It's an online service that shares both D&D and Minecraft with kids in any location, and helps to teach the importance of teamwork, social interaction, problem solving, and so much more. Join us today as we talk about the John's efforts, and how it's already bearing fruit.

If you're interested in learning more, be sure to check out his website at https://www.heroeswanted.kids/.

Ep 175: The party has been split up in the heart of the enemy camp, and must find a way to rejoin forces to win free of the situation. It's all for one and one for all in this exciting episode. Listen now to find out what happens next!

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Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of:

We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'll only get better with time! If you like what you hear, please take the time to leave us a review on iTunes, since that bumps us up in the ratings and lets others join in the fun. For quick updates on a more real-time basis, follow us on Twitter (@stackodice) and on Instagram (@stackodice), where we'd love to hear from you. Or if you want to share a question or idea with us, drop us a line at [email protected].

Also, if you aren't on our Discord server yet, you should be! Check it out here: https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E

Finally, we now have a Ko-fi page! If you wish to support our show with a little money, you can do that today. Please know that we'll use anything you contribute to improve the show.

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We used some Creative Commons sound effects and music in this show. For the sake of attribution, we list them here. The following were taken from freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects.

Sound effects that fall under the Attribution license:

We also used some excellent Battlebards sound effects. If you like what you hear, check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription.

Here are the sound effects we used in this episode:

And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Ep 174: A berserker barbarian has unleashed terror in the enemy camp, including her fear of herself. She has tumbled to the ground in exhaustion, but all three heroes remain firmly in the heart of danger. They must work together to find their way to safety. Join them now as we continue our ongoing adventure!

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Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of:

We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'll only get better with time! If you like what you hear, please take the time to leave us a review on iTunes, since that bumps us up in the ratings and lets others join in the fun. For quick updates on a more real-time basis, follow us on Twitter (@stackodice) and on Instagram (@stackodice), where we'd love to hear from you. Or if you want to share a question or idea with us, drop us a line at [email protected].

Also, if you aren't on our Discord server yet, you should be! Check it out here: https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E

Finally, we now have a Ko-fi page! If you wish to support our show with a little money, you can do that today. Please know that we'll use anything you contribute to improve the show.

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We used some Creative Commons sound effects and music in this show. For the sake of attribution, we list them here. The following were taken from freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects.

Sound effects that fall under the Attribution license:

Sound effects that fall under the Attribution Noncommercial license:

We also used some excellent Battlebards sound effects. If you like what you hear, check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription.

Here are the sound effects we used in this episode:

And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Ep 173: The Reaver's camp is in turmoil, but there's still more the party must accomplish before its mission is complete. How will it all turn out? Listen now to find out!

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Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of:

We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'll only get better with time! If you like what you hear, please take the time to leave us a review on iTunes, since that bumps us up in the ratings and lets others join in the fun. For quick updates on a more real-time basis, follow us on Twitter (@stackodice) and on Instagram (@stackodice), where we'd love to hear from you. Or if you want to share a question or idea with us, drop us a line at [email protected].

Also, if you aren't on our Discord server yet, you should be! Check it out here: https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E

Finally, we now have a Ko-fi page! If you wish to support our show with a little money, you can do that today. Please know that we'll use anything you contribute to improve the show.

-----

We used some Creative Commons sound effects and music in this show. For the sake of attribution, we list them here. The following were taken from freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects.

Sound effects that fall under the Attribution license:

We also used some excellent Battlebards sound effects. If you like what you hear, check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription.

Here are the sound effects we used in this episode:

And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Ep 172: Things are heating up as the party infiltrates the Reaver's army camp on a critical mission. They're operating apart, and the plan relies on close support of each other. How will it all turn out? Listen now to find out!

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Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of:

We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'll only get better with time! If you like what you hear, please take the time to leave us a review on iTunes, since that bumps us up in the ratings and lets others join in the fun. For quick updates on a more real-time basis, follow us on Twitter (@stackodice) and on Instagram (@stackodice), where we'd love to hear from you. Or if you want to share a question or idea with us, drop us a line at [email protected].

Also, if you aren't on our Discord server yet, you should be! Check it out here: https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E

Finally, we now have a Ko-fi page! If you wish to support our show with a little money, you can do that today. Please know that we'll use anything you contribute to improve the show.

-----

We used some Creative Commons sound effects and music in this show. For the sake of attribution, we list them here. The following were taken from freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects.

Sound effects that fall under the Attribution license:

We also used some excellent Battlebards sound effects. If you like what you hear, check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription.

Here are the sound effects we used in this episode:

And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Over the last week we took some time to gather questions from our listeners. In this short-form episode, Meredith and Rhett give their answers in an informal discussion, covering a broad range of topics. We hope you enjoy it!

If we missed your question, or if you come up with any others that you'd like us to cover, we'd love to take on another of these with the whole gang at the table. Please take a moment to send your queries to us through our social media avenues--Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@stackodice), email ([email protected]), and Discord (DM to Rhett the DM) will all work. Just preface your message with AMA so we know to include it in the next batch, and we'll start gathering them up!

We're getting close to our next recording time, so hang in there, and we'll see you back in Vardalon very, very soon!

A core component of RPG games is combat, but it's easy to let it slip into being the same old hit-and-take-it fight to the death if we're not careful. This week's episode shares a look at The Monsters Know What They're Doing, a book designed to help DMs and players alike take a deeper look at the creatures we populate our worlds with and make encounters more memorable, challenging, and fun.

The book is part of a series, and each hard-bound volume costs less than $20. You may want to check them out!

• The Monsters Know What They're Doing

Each book is packed with helpful information written in an easy-to-read style. Happy planning, DMs!

Given how much time remains before we get back to actual play content, we thought it would be a good idea to share the table talk for our next episode in advance. Not only will it allow us to get right into the game with very little fanfare, but it also shares some news that explains why we've had as much of a break as we have. It's all good stuff, and there's plenty to listen to.

Join us as at our table now--we miss being with you, Stacker!

As we approach the end of the main story, Rhett's looking ahead to what comes next. One of the things we expect to happen in the next chapter is switching to the new set of Dungeons and Dragons rules: the 2024 revision. In a series of informal discussions, we'll go over some of the changes as we get comfy with the new rules.

In this episode, Rhett finishes out the creation of our level 1 warlock, complete with some spells and eldritch invocations. Listen along for a comparison of spells between the 2014 and 2024 editions, and see what's changed.

Let's get going!

As we approach the end of the main story, Rhett's looking ahead to what comes next. One of the things we expect to happen in the next chapter is switching to the new set of Dungeons and Dragons rules: the 2024 revision. In a series of informal discussions, we'll go over some of the changes as we get comfy with the new rules.

In this episode, Rhett and Meredith tackle the new process of character creation. While there's a lot of familiar ground, there are a few notable changes that might be of interest to listeners. Join us as we kick off the process of creating our "slightly sketch" warlock.

Let's get going!