It’s A Mimic!

Latest Episodes:

B009 - Campaign Builder - Introducing the Campaign (Level One) Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Beginnings and endings are the same thing in early levels, as Dan and Adam resolve the first mission and launch the campaign, blurring the two together. Rewards, accolades, foreshadowing, and mystery greet our party when they return back to town with their ward, and the players will have more opportunities to discover their place in the guild, the town, and the religious landscape!

Takeaways:
- Resolving the first mission can give a lot of insight to the player types around the table.
- Early item rewards can help mitigate minor unwanted game mechanics.
- Having the party members reward each other can be a satisfying way to bring the party together.
- Resolutions can be excellent opportunities to provide foreshadowing and tonal hints.
- Not every mystery needs to have a clear answer, and NPC's may have conflicting information and hunches.
- Establishing mechanics early will allow you to focus on plot and not mechanics at later levels.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E061 - Off to the Races - Elves 2: Super Elf-Conscious Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode, the panel of Dungeon Masters wraps up the discussion on elves, and covers those who stuck to the shadows, those misunderstood and put down, and those too chaotic to stay in one form for too long. That's right! Today is all about the Shadar-kai, Drow, and Eladrin subraces of elf. From fluid genders to Gloomy Gus's, the panel backs down from nothing when examining the most long-lived of all the Dungeons & Dragons 5e races.

The DM's cover tips on roleplaying, and whether or not they like these subraces as playable characters and NPC options. It's mechanical stumbling blocks, intrinsic challenges, and handcuffed backstories as far as the eye can see, as Terry, Megan, and Adam discuss where in the fantasy world, Terry's hypothetical goth girlfriend would end up.

On-Air Shoutout: Mythica @iammythica

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

M007 - Mailbag of Holding - My Tacticals! Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

It's Springtime again, and apparently that means it's time for a mailbag episode! But one of the hosts is drunk, one of the hosts can't pronounce listeners' names, and one of the hosts quotes the Dungeons & Dragons movie... So it's utter anarchy with bouts of profanity and heckling, and a few surprisingly deep moments... You know. The usual.

Questions were submitted by:

@alexander_anotherskip_davis
@bonaviadaniele
@colton_adrian
@datboicapp
@garakeli202
@gelatinousclub
@kain_morewind
@mattyyiangou
@nicedicebaby
@nick._.long
@pepperina_sparklegem
@spidey_rich
@spooky_maiq
@the.zombie.knight
@yaboisebby_
... and Mailroom Slave Brad.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B008 - Campaign Builder - Escort Mission (Level One) Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

This week, we meet the potion merchant in need of help, Zelmar Alviante, the Summer Eladrin, and his gigantic (and tempermental) Iguana named Jim. But the party is still level one, so how much help can they give? Quite a lot, it would seem, as the desert is fraught with dangers, opportunities, and challenges that will make these early levels both fun and memorable.

Takeaways:
- There needs to be a reason why the person/object needs to be escorted
- Escorted NPC's should have stronger personalities than regular NPC's, because the party is far more likely to have multiple interactions with them
- A successfully escorted NPC may be an opening to future quests or a source of information.
- NPC's needing protection are inherently sympathetic.
- Retreading familiar territory should present recognizable - if different - encounters that build off of previous themes or scenarios.
- Escort missions change the game from offense to defense.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E060 - Lore - Oh Hell, It’s Avernus Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

On this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, Dan takes Adam and Dave through the most brutal of all the 5e official settings: Avernus, the first layer of The Nine Hells. So rev up your engines, and load your pockets with soul coins, because the warlords are calling and Zariel herself is lurking about the River Styx!

From ravenous demon lords to abandoned angelic swords, the discussion in this episode focuses on inspiration to use this setting outside of just the published book, Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus. There is a lot to mull over with planar shenanigans, and it's more than just low-level devils wandering around. Archdevils, corrupted fey, and even mortals walk these dangerous lands, and the front lines of the Blood War looms around every corner...

Huge thanks to Podcorn for sponsoring this episode. Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up here: https://podcorn.com/podcasters/

Shoutout: Logan Beam and his release "Displaced of a Distant Plane: Fae Migrants" on drivethrurpg.com

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B007 - Campaign Builder - On the Open Road (Level One) Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

The party is squishy, but that doesn't mean you can't challenge them. From untrustworthy NPC's to various creatures looking for a meal and an environment that works against you, life beyond the safety of home is fraught with peril. Join Dan and Adam this week as they provide inspiration and insight about how to keep low-level travel both interesting and engaging.

Takeaways:
- The world beyond the city walls should be immediately dangerous.
- Subtly setting themes and ideas early is a good idea.
- Challenge your party, but don't go for the kill at Level One.
- The environment itself can hold dangers and secrets.
- Even seemingly random encounters can provide opportunities for follow-ups and sequels.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E059 - Dragon Mastery - Brass Dragons: Good Conversations Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode, the panel of DM's pops the cork, pours some glasses, pulls out the charcuterie platter, and discusses (at length) the only dragon that will kill you by only talking; the Brass Dragon. The It's A Mimic Podcast finally crosses the alignment border into the good-aligned metallic dragons in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and discusses these ultimate collectors, as well as their lairs, allies, and how to use them in your campaigns as both ally and villains.

On-Air Shoutout: Save For Half Podcast

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B006 - Campaign Builder - Session One (Level One) Mar 05, 2020

Show notes

Every campaign begins somewhere, and when the meta discussions are over and Session Zero has come and gone, it's time to roll dice. But is Session One too early to introduce dynamic encounters? Of course not! Dan and Adam each discuss three examples of dynamic encounters for Session One in their own campaign, and demonstrate that more complex encounters can add intrigue and depth, even in the opening moments of a campaign.

Takeaways:
- Quest-givers should be complex characters that can provide multiple emotional reaction early.
- Session One should focus on Exploration and Roleplay, but not ignore other options.
- Setting the tone and establishing a constant enemy early can bring a party together.
- Revealing the quest does not necessarily mean that a quest has begun.
- Allowing your players to explore a hometown in the early stages, can provide insight to the playstyles at the table, and flesh out a map that will matter to them.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

E058 - Dungeon Mastery - Destiny: Alignment, Honour, & Sanity Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, the panel of Dungeon Masters discusses some optional mechanics offered in Dungeons and Dragons 5e and why you should include - or not include - them into your games. Dan, Adam, and Megan take a stab at Honour and reputation, try to wrap their minds around Sanity, and dive into the age-old argument about the right and wrong of alignment.

From a passionate disagreement about Batman, to a few half-baked homebrew twists on some old mechanics, Megan enjoys how she pits the others against each other. You might be surprised to see who prefers which kind of variant rules, and who supports Alignment, while the tear into their own morality, and the debate into cause and effect. So, an all around light-hearted chat.

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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

B005 - Campaign Builder - Foundations: Dynamic Encounters Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Dynamic Encounters are encounters that have more than a single action, and add depth beyond normal Dungeons & Dragons scenarios that players have seen before. They provide an infinite number of opportunities for surprises, improv, and creative reactions by players and dungeon masters alike. In this episode, Dan and Adam discuss the following:

Dynamic Encounters:
- combat-to-combat
- combat-to-exploration
- combat-to-roleplaying
- exploration-to-combat
- exploration-to-exploration
- exploration-to-roleplaying
- roleplaying-to-combat
- roleplaying-to-exploration
- roleplaying-to-roleplaying
- skill challenges
- downtime
- party politics

Other Dynamic Encounters:
- tactics (in-combat decisions)
- strategy (out-of-combat decisions)
- planning (meta decisions)
- puzzles (environmental problem-solving)
- riddles (language problem-solving)

Takeaways:
- dynamic encounters take place in a static location, using unexpected problems and stakes to increase engagement, while maintaining the same initiative
- downtime includes quest fulfillment, shopping, crafting, drinking, making money, and building relationships, among other simple character- or world-enhancing options
- action economy and initiative can be equally important tools to have in non-combat encounters
- know who the focus of every encounter is, and give everyone a rewarding turn in the spotlight
- "No plan survives contact with the enemy." - Moltke the Elder, Prussian Field Marshall
- "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything." - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

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

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Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore