It’s A Mimic!

Latest Episodes:

T002 - Touring the Multiverse - Eberron: Aundair to the Demon Wastes May 25, 2020

Show notes

Dave is back again to lead you (and Adam!) through Eberron, and in this episode, we zoom in on the Northwest corner of the continent of Khorvaire, where you'd find wizards, paladins, rangers, druids, and rogues! From talking trees and Archfey to forbidden orcs and missing populations, there is a lot to unpack and investigate in the second episode of Touring the Multiverse from the It's A Mimic! podcast!

Nations in this Episode:
Aundair
Thrane
Eldeen Reaches
Thronehold
Demon Wastes

Cities:
Arcanix
Fairhaven
Thaliost
Flamekeep
Shadukar
The City of Rose and Thorn
Throneport
Blood Crescent
Desolate (previously Greenholt, Newholt, and Kymar's Folly)

Geographical Landmarks:
Scions Sound
The Towering Wood
Greenheart
The Gloaming
The Twilight Demesne
Icehorn Mountains
The Shadowcrags
Stone Cage Mountains
The Labyrinth
Ashtakala
The Ash Beacon
Lake of Fire

Other Planes:
Mabar
Thelanis

People:
Lyrian Das
King Jarot ir'Wynarn
Queen Aurala ir'Wynarn
Queen Diani ir'Wynarn
Jaela Daran, The Keeper of the Flame
The Great Druid Olian
The King of Summer
King Galifar I

Organizations:
Morgrave University
The Arcane Congress
The Noble Eyes
The Knights Arcane
The Church of the Silver Flame
The Council of Cardinals
The Warden of the Woods
The Throne Wardens
Ghaash'kala
Carrion Tribes

Dragonmark Houses:
House Deneith
House Tharashk

Monster Breakdown:
Dusk Hag
(Bonus: Tanarukk from Volo's)

And don't forget to follow Dave and Adam into Sharn after the credits, so they can check in with everyone's favourite slinger of magic items: Djed! This week, he's slinging Feather Tokens and Cleansing Stones!

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Melodica's Music

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B017 - Campaign Builder - Strange New City (Level Three) May 21, 2020

Show notes

Fantastic settings for fantastic campaigns! How do you encourage a party to explore a bizarre new setting, and keep the tone and feeling different from their hometown? In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam look into crazy settings and how to have your players intereact with the new environment in easy, organic, and interesting ways.

Takeaways:
- When designing a fantastical location, spend some time thinking about how daily life would be effected by unique geography.
- Incredible landmarks often breed outlandish religions and worshippers.
- Knowing only the general geography of a town, and not specific points of interest, allows you to listen to your players' needs and explore a town organically.
- When introducing a complicated world or setting, start simple and slowly introduce complexity to your players so they don't become overwhelmed.
- Injecting real life tactile puzzles, board games, and escape rooms into a session is a great way to break up a routine, especially if the outcomes directly affect in-game situations.
- New settings provides the opportunity to introduce many new NPC's, and that means many new kinds of relationships.
- Reintroducing street-level danger is adding a sense of distrust is a great way to subtly shift the tone and emphasize a new kind of location.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E069 – Class: Alternative Adventuring - Rogues: Expensive Sneakers May 19, 2020

Show notes

Time again for a class overview of the Rogue options and subclasses for Dungeons and Dragons 5e. Dan, Adam and Terry get together on this 69th (nice) episode and talk about dump stats before kicking things off with a bang, covering the the flavour options presented in Xanathars Guide to Everything. After showering praises on the options that would help any player character develop into a deeper, more fleshed out narrative dynamo, the guys then move to the subclasses.
On the slab this week are the Scout, Swashbuckler and Inquisitive Rogues. The guys debate back and forth about power creep and overall opinions while defining and interpreting some vague rules. After that, they move onto tossing out character ideas that will hopefully spawn some inspiration for amazing characters at your table.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

T001 - Touring the Multiverse - Eberron: History May 18, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to a brand new miniseries on the It's A Mimic! podcast, where Dave invites you to explore his favourite Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting, Eberron. In the first episode, he sits Adam down to explain the history and lore of this rich and beloved world. From creation myths to world wars and genocides, this incredibly detailed and painstakingly crafted history opens up new opportunities for campaigns unlike anything else in Fifth Edition. Below are the spellings of all the concepts spoken about in this episode.

The Progenitor Dragons:
Siberys
Eberron
Khyber

Monster Civilizations:
The Dhakaani Empire (Goblinoids)
The Daelkyr (Aberrations)

Continents:
Argonnessen (Dragons)
Khorvaire (Main Continent)
Xen'drik (fallen Giants)
Sarlona (Humans)

The Five Kingdoms:
Aundair
Breland, including Sharn, The City of Towers
Cyre
Karrnath
Thrane

Splinter Nations:
Darguun
The Eldeen Reaches
The Lhazaar Principalities
The Mror Holds
Q'barra
The Talenta Plains
Valenar
Zilargo

Other Nations:
Droaam
The Demon Wastes
The Shadow Marches
Thronehold

Royalty:
King Galifar
House Wynarn
King Jarot ir'Wynarn

Days:
Sul (Sunday)
Mol (Monday)
Zol (Tuesday)
Wir (Wednesday)
Zor (Thursday)
Far (Friday)
Sat (Saturday)

Months:
Zarantyr (January)
Olarune (February)
Therendor (March)
Eyre (April)
Dravago (May)
Nymm (June)
Lharvion (July)
Barrakas (August)
Rhaan (September)
Sypheros (October)
Arynth (November)
Vult (December)

Overlords:
Rak Tulkhesh (Warfare and Rage)
Sul Khatesh (Secrets and Shadows)

And don't forget to stay tuned after the credits to learn about Dragonshards from Djed, everyone's favourite marketplace salesman!

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Melodica's Music

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B016 - Campaign Builder - Chase (Level Three) May 14, 2020

Show notes

The enemies are escaping to a distant city, so what does that mean? It's time for a chase! In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Adam and Dan look at how to make a chase feel like more than just another skill challenge, especially in regards to overland movement. So saddle up and get ready, because it's a grueling race across the desert as we start to explore Dungeon Mastering for a level three party.

Takeaways:
- There is a perfectly serviceable chase mechanic in the Dungeon Master's Guide that not many people seem to utilize. It operates almost as a mini-game.
- Pacing is one of the most important aspects of running a chase.
- Environment is an integral part of any chase, large or small.
- Decoys, distractions, and red herrings are fine, but if the party doesn't understand the stakes, these may derail the chase.
- The benefit of an overland chase is that it adds a clear goal and sense of pressure to an entire session.
- It can be very effective to disrupt a dynamic encounter with a cliffhanger.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E068 - Off to the Races - Dwarves: Dwarfing the Competition May 12, 2020

Show notes

In this weeks episode, the panel of DMs (Brad, Terry and Adam) break down the bearded dynamoes and central figures in every fantasy campaign (except Ravnica) the dwarves! Finally diving deep into the depths of these clan based societies, the guys cover the basics of Dungeons and Dragons 5e's flavour regarding the stalwart race of master craftsmen before taking a not-so-brief discussion on one of the most intimidating parts of playing a dwarf: the accent!
After tackling their politics, pantheon and basic stereotypes, the guys go over the mechanics of the three types of playable dwarves; the mountain dwarf, the hill dwarf and the grey dwarf (or Duergar). They wrap up the feature by creating some amazing dwarven characters, both playable and non, while gushing over one of this podcasts favourite playable races.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B015 - Campaign Builder - Foundations: Building NPCs May 07, 2020

Show notes

The first few sessions have been bursting at the seams with a variety of urban encounters, but urban encounters mean lots of Non-Playable Characters. And how do you create NPC's? What should you focus on? In this episodes of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam sit down and go over their checklist of what's important for NPC creation, and why.

Important Physical Details:
- Race
- Status
- Class and/or Job
- Age
- Gender/Sexuality
- Height/Weight
- Colouring (hair, complexion, eyes)
- Cleanliness
- Clothing
- Accessories
- Posture
- Voice
- Mannerisms
- Scars/Tattoos
- Location

Important Personality Details:
- Family
- Romantic Interests
- Contacts
- Attitudes
- Faith
- Preferences/Prejudices
- Sense of Humour
- Transparency
- Needs
- Goals
- Desires
- Pet Peeves
- Fears
- Triggers
- Secrets
- Adaptability

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E067 – Lore – Ravnica: Guild-y Pleasures May 05, 2020

Show notes

It's off to yet another campaign setting in this episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, and this time it's all about a mega-city, guilds, magic experimentation, and carnivals of fervant destruction! That's right! Adam, Dave, and Terry are heading to Ravnica to explore how well the setting ports over from Magic the Gathering, and the answer might surprise you!

The Ravnica Guilds:
Azorius Senate
Boros Legion
House Dimir
Golgari Swarm
Gruul Clans
Izzet League
Orzhov Syndicate
Cult of Rakdos
Selesnya Conclave
Simic Combine

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B014 - Campaign Builder - Heroism (Level Two) Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

The party has won, and their enemies are on the run! But before they can give chase, the public steps forward to reward them! Fame and fortune and love and titles and rewards and boons and favours... The game has now changed, at least locally. But what does that mean, and how do you reward such a low-level party?

Takeaways:
- Heroism is a double-edged sword. Becoming famous can be just as much a challenge as a reward.
- Even dark and gritty campaigns rely on the feeling of success.
- Clarity about risk, rewards, and boundaries will give definition and the feeling of accomplishments.
- From a Dungeon Master's perspective, the illusion of progress is sometimes more important than the progress itself.
- Rewards that focus on providing services and opportunities are very effective, and often give a better sense of in-game achievement than NPC favours or shiny new items.
- Heroic status comes with responsibilities, and larger organizations will probably take interest in new players on the scene.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E066 – Dragon Mastery – Copper Dragons: Quick Wit and Slow Breath Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

In this episode about incredibly serious and evil dragons, Brad, Dave, and Dan discuss the overwhelming brute force of the Copper Dragon. It's antisocial behaviour and hatred of minstrels is well-documented, and the It's A Mimic! podcast absolutely despises their pragmatic and boring outlook on life.

Heh.

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore