Stories of the Fifth Age – The Mad Adventurers Society Archive

Stories of the Fifth Age – The Mad Adventurers Society Archive episodes:

• 12.29.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep: Final! “Paladins”

  Bright armor gleaming like the sun, and swinging holy swords to smite down the foes of all that is good and just, the Paladin is one of the greatest tropes in fantasy literature, and D&D lore. It is also one...

  
• 12.22.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 90: “Wizards and Sorcerers”

  Whether hunched over stacks of arcane tomes, or feeling the stirrings of unknown power from within their blood, the wizard and sorcerer are two of the most well known classes within D&D. Sharing many of the same spells in their...

  
• 12.15.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 89: “Rangers”

  Living amongst the wilderness, and traversing the myriad deadly terrains that make up the fantasy realms of D&D, few are as comfortable as the Ranger. Whether alone or in a group, these stalkers of the wilds are known to possess...

  
• 12.01.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 88: “Rogues”

  Stalkers in the shadows claiming powerful talents among a myriad possible avenues of growth, the Rogue is a shifty, often maligned, lifestyle. However, as Adam and Jared discuss in this episode, being a rogue is more than SNEAK ATTACK and...

  
• 11.24.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 87: “Urban Bounty Hunter/Mercenary Veteran”

  Whether braving battlefields and clashing swords or skulking through the underbelly of the sprawling streets of a city in pursuit of the most dangerous game, there’s one primary factor that links the Bounty Hunter and the Mercenary: Coin. In this week’s...

  
• 11.17.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 86: “Clerics”

  Tied to divine powers, clerics are conduits of the Heavens, tasked with the mandate to enact the will of their deities upon the Mortal realms. This role comes with great and often misunderstood implications, even by followers of those very...

  
• 11.10.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 85: “Listener Emails!”

  After having languished unanswered in our digital mail slot for weeks on end, at last, the messages sent to us by our beloved audience would finally come forward. Rather than be given simple answers of text, the hosts of the...

  
• 11.03.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 84: “Archetype Follow-Up / GM Archetypes”

  How do you know if a player is bored or engaged? How do you do everything as a GM? These questions are some of the many things thrown our way last week that we simply weren’t able to tackle in just...

  
• 10.27.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 83: “Player Archetypes”

  Whenever we sit down at the table to begin telling tales of action and adventure, each of the players is drawn there for a different reason. Whether it is to take on a role and wear a mask for the...

  
• 10.20.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 82: “Fighters”

  Masters of martial combat, in the many forms that it can take, the Fighter represents a bit of a unique premise amidst the classes of D&D. While most of the other classes offer specific styles or ideas to build around,...

  
• 10.13.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 81: “Inheritor”

  Inheritance is a complicated concept. It can carry many layers of context and subtext depending on who is giving and who is receiving, and what is being given in the first place. With the inheritor background, this act of receiving...

  
• 10.06.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 80: “Warlocks”

  Possessed of mysterious and unique powers, unlike those of other wielders of magical might, the warlock is an oft misunderstood class. Due to their pacts with beings that provide them with these unusual gifts and talents, they may be maligned...

  
• 09.29.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 79: “Weather or Not”

  A cataclysmic storm raging amidst blackened skies; thick mists hanging low along the mud slickened ground; a forest with beams of bright light cutting through the thick boughs as the sunlight overhead pierces through. Weather helps set the tone of...

  
• 09.22.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep 78: “Knight of the Order / Faction Agent”

  Whether it be the proud ranks of an ancient knighthood, or the shadowy fellowship of a multi-national faction working behind the scenes, members of either organization will have intrinsic ties to the groups they call home. Despite how different the...

  
• 09.15.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 77: “Druids”

  Mastery over nature, and balance between the four elements are the ways of the Druid. A class of unique power and role within the options of D&D, the Druid presents many ways for its abilities to interact with the world...

  
• 09.08.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 76: “Cultural Identity”

  Stepping into a new town can be an alien experience, surrounded by the swirl of a culture that isn’t your own. To be able to find a familiar connection within this unfamiliar terrain is a powerful experience. All too often,...

  
• 09.01.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 75: “Courtier”

  Amid the political shifts and jockeying for power or position, the role of the courtier has many possibilities to fit into any given court. From the foppish hangers on, to those who play vital roles in the background, the courtier...

  
• 08.25.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 74: “Monks”

  Powerful forces of spiritual and physical might, the monk represents a being of martial discipline and mental fortitude. But when we look at the class, what expectations do we put on it, what stereotypes are placed on the class just...

  
• 08.18.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 73: “Welcome to the Planes”

  Fewer aspects of D&D can create mystique or wonder quite like the idea of the multiverse, the spanning expanse of the planes. From the elemental planes and their encircling chaos, to the Outer planes and the Astral sea, with the...

  
• 08.11.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 72: “Criminal”

  From petty thieves to the heads of organized gangs, criminals come in many different forms and intentions. Just as much a product of their environment as their training and skills, this background presents some of the widest range of possible...

  
• 08.04.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 71: “Bards”

  Out of the many classes D&D has come to offer through the years, few have had such a complicated place within its history as the Bard. Stuck in the middle as a jack of all trades, master of none in...

  
• 07.28.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 70: “Exploring Magic – Schools & More”

  When considering magic within D&D, there are a lot of smaller considerations that can be made, including not just what makes casters different, but how they might be more similar as well. Even split across the line of arcane or...

  
• 07.21.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 69: “City Watch”

  Whether out patrolling a beat, or sifting through evidence to determine the nature of a crime, the Watch serve important roles as the police and guard forces of the fantasy worlds of D&D. When looking at the Watch as your...

  
• 07.14.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 68: “Class Conceptions: Barbarians”

  Among all the classes in D&D lore, few have as many stereotypes pre-baked in as the Barbarian. Tribesmen from the edges of society or civilization according to description, and, in previous editions, starting off illiterate, many players have a lot...

  
• 07.07.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 67: “Making Martial Characters More Interesting”

  As characters grow in power and ability within D&D, there remains a simple truism, that the characters with magical prowess will have vastly more diverse arrays of said abilities at their disposal. As a result, sometimes when playing a martial...

  
• 06.23.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 66: “Player Strongholds and Homesteads”

  A mighty fortress; a warm house tailored to personal tastes; a vessel with a salty crew setting into seas unknown.  When given the chance to own a piece of the world, to control something more than just their characters, players...

  
• 06.16.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 65: “Gnomes”

  A tiny bundle of boundless energy, endless curiosity, and an infectious zest for life, an encounter with a Gnome in the worlds of D&D can be one that is both bewildering and exhausting, but at the same time, also enlightening....

  
• 06.09.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 64: “Dungeons”

  Part of the two part success story that is the source material for our podcast, this week’s topic is a heavy one. Dungeons pervade as a fundamental aspect of how we can interact with the worlds we explore in D&D,...

  
• 06.02.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 63: “Dragonborn”

  Fierce, proud, undeniably scaly, the Dragonborn race represents the most unusual of all the uncommon races presented in the  5th edition core system. Even Tieflings share at least the core ancestry of their common parentage, while the Dragonborn are something...

  
• 05.26.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 62: “Tonal Shifts and Dissonance”

  With subtle or not so subtle shifts of tone, your entire campaign can swing from a high note of victory into the depths of despair, and handling these sort of shifts and adjustments is a not so exact science. Depending...

  
• 05.19.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 61: “Custom Backgrounds?!”

  Backgrounds have a specific set of mechanics for what they’re supposed to provide, showcasing the skills, languages and traits your character acquired, and in what context they were related separate from their class. But, other than those provided by Wizards,...

  
• 05.12.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 60: “Balancing Rules and Custom Additions”

  When building a world, drafting characters, or considering the options of what to make a setting unique, sometimes we as GMs and players want to push beyond the boundaries of what the system offers in the core books. When crafting...

  
• 05.05.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 59: “In The Army Now!”

  Of of all the themes explored in D&D, the military can be one of the most complicated and one of the ones offering the most layers for players and GMs alike to explore the context and consequences of applying it...

  
• 04.28.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 58: “Scene Arrangement and Pacing”

  When telling a story and progressing through a game’s narrative, it’s very important to structure scenes in such a way that there is a natural flow to the order and pacing, to preserve tension and themes. In this episode, Adam...

  
• 04.21.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 57: “Governments, Holidays, and Spirits”

  Spanning the worlds of D&D, the various races and regions, the circumstances of these populations can lead to a great deal of different possibilities, chief among these being the governments that lead and rule those populations. A reflection of the...

  
• 04.14.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 56: “To Roll, or Not to Roll?”

  In D&D, a character’s skills and checks represent expertise and talent, blending with chance to determine their ability to show agency and influence within the game world. But is resolving everything with a dice roll really the best idea? Tackling...

  
• 04.07.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 55: “Adventure Paths!”

  Pre-Written Adventures can be very divisive. With 5e, WOTC has put together a new initiative of published adventurers as a way to add content to their line of books, and as such, it’s finally time for Stories to tackle these....

  
• 03.31.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 54: “Campaign Durations”

  Whether it’s a single night filled with chaotic adventure, or a long running epic to rival the myths of the Odyssey, how long a campaign runs can determine a lot about it. In this episode, Adam and Jared take a...

  
• 03.24.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 53: “Engaging Encounters, Pt. 4: I HATE COMBAT!”

  Not every campaign is a blood soaked tale of conquest and murder, littered with bodies and awash with endless ruin. Many conflicts can be resolved through other means, or through never coming to conflict in the first place. Addressing a...

  
• 03.17.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 52: “Engaging Encounters, Pt. 3: Environmental Escapades”

  No matter what the terrain, adventurers need to be able to think on their feet to use their surroundings to their advantage. Be it a social gathering of high society, or the humid depths of a rancid swamp, environmental circumstances...

  
• 03.10.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 51: “Far Traveler”

  Having come from lands unfamiliar to most, those bearing the far traveler background represent an alien, unknown atmosphere, a sense of things bizarre and uncertain. With traditions, manners of speech and history that all seem to not quite match up...

  
• 03.03.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 50: “Miniatures and Mats”

  Perspective. By using miniatures and mats effectively, a game session can add perspective to the world, drawing in atmosphere and spatial awareness that was previously stuck purely in the imagination. It can also firmly derail your game into matters of...

  
• 02.25.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 49: “Cities with Character”

  Be it New York, Los Angeles, Gotham or Mega City 1, when a story takes place within an infamous city, that city is just as important a character in the story as the villains, heroes and background NPCs. Adding depth...

  
• 02.18.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 48: “Tieflings and Aasimar”

  Born with blessings from above or the curses from below, the plane touched Aasimar and Tieflings are examples of outsiders, walking amongst mere mortals, isolated from their fellows by something not even their parents could have chosen. These races represent...

  
• 02.11.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 47: “Gods and Deities”

  Divine entities are a source of much of the mystery and power that moves within the worlds of D&D. Whether it be the myriad pantheons of Toril’s Forgotten Realms or something created for a unique campaign setting, the Gods define...

  
• 02.04.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 46: “What Does Your Character Actually Do?”

  When it comes to each character, it’s important to remember that they are more than just a combination of class and background. While those two are important, highly significant, foundations of what make up their lives and perspectives, there are...

  
• 01.28.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 45: “Entertainer”

  Since the dawn of civilization, there have always been those who have sought to find ways to make their way in life through making others laugh, cry, smile, or cheer. Stirring emotional responses through poetry, music and writing, feats of...

  
• 01.21.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 44: “Engaging Encounters, Pt 2: Glass Cannons and ZombieGate”

  A rogue, a warlock, a wizard and a ranger. No Cleric, No Fighter, no problem, right? Who needs party balance when you have firepower! Scenarios like the one above form the basis for this week’s discussion, as Adam and Jared...

  
• 01.14.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 43: “Engaging Encounters, Pt.1: Random and Run of the Mill?”

  Few things can be more complicating for a GM’s planning than encounters. Whether they be combat heavy, or a matter of clever use of skills and quick thinking, they can set aside anything else in the game for an extended...

  
• 01.07.2016

  Stories of the Fifth Age, Ep. 42: “Starting from the Beginning…”

  Whenever we sit down to begin a gaming session, there are many questions that face the players and the GM alike. What kind of game will be played? What tone will be used to set the focus for that game,...