Chris and James return for Ravenloft Part 4, exploring the Lupin, the Reborn and a selection of supernatural Dark Gifts.

They debate whether these character options live up to their brilliant themes, which abilities feel underwhelming or poorly balanced, and how different classes could make the most of them. The discussion also explores why powerful features are often more interesting when they come with genuine drawbacks, flaws and consequences.

The Rule of Cool, Rule of the Week introduces Death or Glory, an alternative death-saving system where players can risk everything on one dramatic roll, potentially returning stronger or suffering permanent consequences.

Plus, moustaches, Magnum P.I., Super Mario and James's upcoming darts trip to Blackpool.

The Ravenloft: Horrors Within series continues as Chris and James explore one of the biggest changes coming to Dungeons & Dragons 5.5: backgrounds and species.

Do the new backgrounds encourage richer storytelling, or are they just another excuse to min-max your character? The duo break down the Haunted One, Investigator, Mist Wanderer and Spirit Medium backgrounds, sharing their favourite roleplaying hooks before putting each through the infamous Rock Hard Ratings.

They also sink their teeth into Ravenloft's playable species, debating whether Dampyrs live up to the vampire fantasy, if Hexbloods should have been subclasses instead, and why D&D might finally have too many species to choose from.

To round things off, Chris and James climb onto their favourite soapbox to discuss why familiars deserve to be treated like trusted companions instead of disposable scouting drones.

Whether you're creating your next character or just looking for inspiration at the table, this episode is packed with laughs, opinions and plenty of Rule of Cool.

🎲 Roll initiative and join us for another episode of Welcome 2 The Rule of Cool.

The mists have more secrets to reveal...

In Part Two of our Heroes of the Horrors Within series, Chris and James dive into Ravenloft's latest subclasses, discussing everything from the eerie Hollow Warden Ranger to what might be one of the best subclasses in D&D 5.5, the Phantom Rogue.

Along the way they debate whether Rangers can finally compete, explore how roleplay can elevate any character, and explain why working with your Dungeon Master creates unforgettable moments at the table. They also discuss monster harvesting, meaningful loot, session pacing, and why investment is the secret ingredient to every great campaign.

If you're looking to bring more atmosphere, creativity and horror to your next game, this episode is for you.

The mists have rolled in, and so has our first deep dive into Horrors Within.

Chris and James begin a new miniseries exploring Ravenloft's latest book, sharing their honest thoughts on the subclasses, themes and ideas that caught their attention. From whether horror campaigns can ever truly be scary to the debate around consent pages versus atmosphere, nothing escapes the Rule of Cool treatment.

This week, they take a closer look at the Grave Domain Cleric, Shadow Sorcerer, Undead Warlock and the brilliantly chaotic College of Spirits Bard. They question whether giving players terrifying powers actually weakens a horror setting, celebrate subclasses that bring something genuinely new to the table, and somehow end up discussing dream campaigns, Matrix-inspired D&D and why rolling randomly is often far more entertaining than making the sensible choice.

Expect horror, humour, questionable opinions and plenty of sarcastic tangents as we journey into Ravenloft.

Chris Smith and James Peerless return for another wonderfully unstructured dive into all things nerd culture. Despite being a D&D podcast, this week's conversation veers through England's Darts World Cup triumph, assigning D&D classes to England footballers, debating the best franchise crossovers, and somehow ends up discussing Spider-Man, Pokémon, Lego sets, and zombie survival campaigns.

Along the way, the pair explore why Dungeons & Dragons has become more mainstream than ever, dream up future crossover possibilities, and share some practical Dungeon Master advice on keeping players engaged.

The episode is called Crossing Streams, which, as any sensible person knows, is generally considered a terrible idea. Fortunately for our millions of listeners, mixing D&D, football, superheroes, and Pokémon together has only resulted in mild chaos.

New episodes every Wednesday.

This week, Chris and James discuss first characters, character deaths that still haunt players years later, why new players don't need a 17-class multiclass build, and how roleplay often matters more than the numbers on your character sheet. Plus, tales from zombie campaigns, returning to the DM chair (or escaping it), and a surprisingly brilliant token mechanic that proves controlled chaos can create unforgettable moments.

Because every great adventure starts somewhere... usually with someone forgetting how spell slots work.

Chris and James return to finish what they started, diving into the final 10 villains from Dragon Magazine’s Top 20, and things get seriously out of hand.

What begins with trap-loving masterminds like Acererak quickly spirals into full-blown god-tier chaos, featuring demon lords, lich legends, and world-ending threats. Along the way, the duo question questionable rankings, debate what actually makes a great villain, and continue applying their wildly unreliable “Rock Hard Rating” system.

From manipulators like Tasha to absolute powerhouses like Orcus, Vecna, and Tiamat, this episode answers the important question… who actually deserves the top spot?

This is Part 2 of 2, bigger, darker, and somehow even less scientific than before.

Chris and James kick off a two-part deep dive into Dragon Magazine’s Top 20 D&D villains, armed with their brand new, highly scientific, and completely questionable “Rock Hard Rating” system.

From Meepo (who might not even be a villain) to world-ending threats like Tharizdun, the duo attempt to separate the truly terrifying from the wildly overrated. Along the way, they question their own D&D knowledge, compare warforged to Terminators, and discover that some “legendary villains” are… a bit underwhelming.

This is Part 1, covering the first 10 villains, expect chaos, sarcasm, and a rating system that absolutely shouldn’t be trusted.

Chris and James dive into the rise of geek culture, from mainstream comedy and SNL UK to Hollywood’s obsession with myth and nostalgia. As fantasy and fandom take centre stage, they explore what makes stories stick and why villains often steal the spotlight.

Shifting into Dungeons & Dragons, the focus turns to iconic figures like Strahd and Vecna, questioning whether D&D truly delivers memorable antagonists or leans too heavily on familiar tropes. They debate what makes a great villain, from motivation and depth to sheer presence at the table.

To wrap up, the hosts clash over inspiration mechanics, flexibility vs structure, and what really drives player engagement. Expect laughs, strong opinions, and a few takes that might divide the party.

In this episode, Chris and James dive into the chaos of Dungeons & Dragons, from TV portrayals in Ted and Community to the reality at the table. Because, despite the name, players aren’t always the problem, well, not always.

They explore what really happens when carefully crafted plans fall apart, twists get guessed too early, and campaigns take unexpected turns, including opening a pizza shop mid-adventure. The conversation digs into the balance between player freedom and DM control, and why the best Dungeon Masters don’t fight chaos, they adapt to it.

Expect stories of unpredictable players, questionable DM decisions, creative mechanics, and those unforgettable moments that no one planned, but everyone remembers.

Because in D&D, the real “problem” isn’t the players, it’s thinking you were ever in control to begin with.