In this fine edition of The Worlds of MW Lewis, MW muses about backstories. Ripped right from the headlines! Angry DM returns. Music from the jazzreverb.

references: https://www.dndbeyond.com/backgrounds

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/9of7b9/overdone_backstories_at_the_start_of_a_campaign/

You too can join the Grogtalk empire, where MW is The Admiral His Eminent Grace Baron The Honorable Commander of Metro DC: https://www.patreon.com/grogtalk/posts ; https://www.grogcon.com/heraldry-and-titles/

Music by the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: h⁠ttps://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy⁠

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

Episode 222 is dedicated to the all-important debate about player agency and DM railroads. This topic entered the zeitgeist with the release of the Dragonlance modules in the great decade that was the 1980s, and has been a never-ending source of fodder for articles, blogs, and pods ever since. MW just jumping on the bandwagon. Though, seriously, it is important to understand as the topic comes up all the time on the Grogtalk discord. This is the first of a series of inquiries into this very serious subject.

Featured at the beginning of the pod is Joshua Morris singing a duet with his buddy, It Can Happen to You. Then he plays the trumpet. Then he sings some more.

You too can join the Grogtalk empire, where MW is The Admiral His Eminent Grace Baron The Honorable Commander of Metro DC: https://www.patreon.com/grogtalk/posts ; https://www.grogcon.com/heraldry-and-titles/

Music by the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

Episode 221 has something for everyone. New music from Joshua Morris. A new bit called The Angry Dungeon Master. A new reading from The Sword of Kasanta. An unboxing with commentary on the sad news from the Grogtalk Empire. What more could a listener ask for?

Music by the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

MW talks about his new Mic, before serving up hours and hours of jibber jabber from his road trip. All remaining clips enclosed. FM stations sampled in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Interviews with proprietors of game shops: Rob McCallister of Dungeon's Gate Games & Books; Kimon of Gators Games and Hobbies; and Jason of Pawns and Pints Board Game Cafe.

Links to game stores visited (including last episode): https://www.oldtownhobbiesandgames.com/ https://www.gauntletgames-store.com/ https://gamekastle.com/pages/game-kastle-ankeny https://dungeonsgate.com/ https://gatorsfeedsyourneeds.com/ https://www.pawnsandpints.com/

For documented evidence of things discussed in this episode, go to @MWLewis83 on the TWITX and at https://www.facebook.com/mw.lewis.77/ on the old person's social.

Don't forget about the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

In Episode 219, MW shares the many exciting things that happen when you drive from Denton, Texas to Albuquerque via Oklahoma. There's tons of FM radio to enjoy. Sites. Sounds. Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul real-life sets. And RPG gaming shops. What more could you want? Small, legally borrowed music clips from Youtube at "youcanfinditeasily."

For documented evidence of things discussed in this episode, go to @MWLewis83 on the TWITX and at https://www.facebook.com/mw.lewis.77/ on the old person's social.

Don't forget about the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

MW had to throw in one extra August pod as a very important box arrived, resulting in the most amazing unboxing ever recorded. Also, MW finally answers some calls in a walk down the 2023 memory lane.

Find documented evidence of the unboxing at: @MWLewis83 on the TWITX and at https://www.facebook.com/mw.lewis.77/ on the old person's social.

Music by the one and only Josh Morris. Check out his new album on the Spot: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

You too can wait 8 months for MW to respond to your callins! Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

MW triumphantly returned to Maryland following an 8-day road trip through the Midwest (not counting the three days driving from home to his son's school in Texas). He found lots of fun things to bring home with him for the podcast! In this episode, a small sampling of that content.

Check out Josh Morris's new album, Beltway, just released on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b0IN7LoPz9QO9DlUXFC02

216 is all about MNAD&D. In the readings this episode, we fast forward past the end of the Ogre Mine scenario into the party's journey east along the Wild Coast to the fallen city of Highport. Along the way, they decide to help Svanshol's Overseer, Njal, and rescue his son from the clutches of the Bear Fortress Governor Hrodny. Before the readings, MW talks about his plans to visit gaming stores during his August Road Trip.

Warning: Today's episode has explicit descriptions of death and cursing that could be deemed problematic.

If you want to see MW's dice cam, check it out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/mw.lewis.77/posts/683644613808937?ref=embed_post

Like what you hear? Want to comment. Call the new SpeakPipe (link fixed) messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

The smooth silky jazzy vibes from Josh, aka jazzreverb. Find him on the InstaG. https://www.instagram.com/jazzreverb/?hl=en and on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/3f9NNt7lQX7kv6pBy64nnM

MW talks and talks and talks about his MNAD&D game. The Trials and Tribulations of First Level Players is top of mind, but he explores rivulets of thoughts along the way. Supporting documentation: https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/archive/why-the-eighties-was-the-coolest-of-decades

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

Check out:

https://youtu.be/TErrzsnWyZo

In 214, MW delves into the heavy topic of patriotism and AD&D. He provides a brief and not well-referenced account of patriotism from early Roman times until the modern day, then wonders if a game of AD&D where the characters are patriotic servants of a king or country could be fun. Then, MW rants about how badly Peter Jackson assassinated Gimli and worse, Faramir. Music supplied by Jazzreverb when he wasn't even in 9th grade yet!

LOTR vs LOTR references:

https://www.theonering.net/torwp/2003/02/12/25820-the-faramir-changes-arguments-against-2/

https://www.theonering.com/in-defense-of-peter-jackson-part-2-why-faramir-needed-to-change-2/

https://www.theonering.com/peter-jackson-answers-questions-about-the-two-towers-why-the-changes-in-faramir-why-the-different-ending-2/

Like what you hear? Want to comment. Call the new SpeakPipe messaging service: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/286549/1/ecwsfe60vr2ropcy

Or send an email (audio file or written): Worldsofmwlewis "at" gmail "dot" com

Check out:
The smooth silky jazzy vibes from Josh, aka jazzreverb. Find him on the InstaG. https://www.instagram.com/jazzreverb/?hl=en and on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/3f9NNt7lQX7kv6pBy64nnM