After offing a Red Wizard at Castle Naerytar and acquiring the secret code word from him to actuate a subterranean portal, the PCs - namely, Lathandis (Wood Elf Cleric), Seren (Half-Elf Eldritch Knight), Erzo (Drow Rogue), along with NPC muffin Jamna Gleamsilver (Gnome Rogue) - are teleported, then emerge on the other side of... who knows where? Unlike the swampy, muggy atmospheric conditions at the Mere of Dead Men, the climate at this new and apparently remote locale is cooler, fresher, gusty, alpine- like. Upon materialization, the first thing they see, within arrow shot, is what appears to be a lodge of some kind, with snow-capped mountains forming the backdrop. Who or what else will they encounter? What, then, will the PCs do? Will they yodel-ay-hee-hoo? Listen in to this podcast episode and find out. DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO Battle 5 (March of the Eagles soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).The PCs have gotten themselves in a pickle. Confined quarters with is guy is not good. 

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E24: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 13: HELMED HORRORS AND MUSICAL DOORS)

Having finagled and rampaged their way past a band of Bullywugs at the entrance of Castle Naerytar, the PCs - namely, Lathandis (Wood Elf Cleric), Seren (Half-Elf Eldritch Knight) and Erzo (Drow Rogue) - make their way through the main level, managing to gain access below, with Lizardman Snapjaw and Gnome Jamna in tow... then to probe the dark depths. What will they encounter? Even after editing, the duration of this podcast is longer than normal. Ideal for listening if you're locked in transit or if working the late shift.DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO The Gathering Storm (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim soundtrack, Jeremy Soule).The situation in the subterranean caves is definitely off-kilter. 

E23: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 12: THAT WHICH DWELLS BELOW THE CASTLE)

The PCs seem to have gotten themselves into a pickle while stopping off at the Carnath Roadhouse. Almost by serendipity, Seren (Half-Elf Eldritch Knight), Lathandis (Wood Elf Cleric) and Erzo (Drow Rogue) have foiled an  underground clandestine shipment of loot undertaken by some Lizardmen during the overnight hours. However, the Half-Orc Bog Luck and other NPCs have become aware that something unusual is afoot. Deadly confrontation occurs between PCs and NPCs. And where were those Lizardmen taking the crates?  Listen in to the podcast to find out what's going on.DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO The Longest Walk (Midnight Run soundtrack, Danny Elfman)."I smite thee !", Lathandis bellows to Seren. Jamna the gnome ducks. 

E21: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 10: WHAT'S GOING ON?)

After the travelling for about one week northward on the High Road, the caravan stops off at the Carnath Roadhouse. The PCs - Seren (Half-Elf Eldritch Knight), Lathandis (Wood Elf Cleric), Erzo (Drow Rogue) - have been retained as security guards for the trip. Reportedly, this roadhouse is a locale where road building supplies are unloaded for ongoing work currently being conducted by the High Road Charter Company. But observations by the PCs and NPC encounters hint that other activities are occurring clandestinely... likely related to the Cult of the Dragon Queen. DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / BACKGROUND MUSIC Dragon Age: Origins  soundtrack (Inon Zur) / OUTRO Lord Seeker (Dragon Age: Inquisition soundtrack, Trevor Morris).All the action and intrigue in this episode occurs at the Carnath Roadhouse. 

E20: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 9: ROLLICKING RUCKUS AT THE ROADHOUSE)

Party member Erzo (Drow Rogue) finds himself alone after the mysterious disappearance of his colleague. However, he is joined by two new PCs: Seren (Half-Elf Eldritch Knight) and Lathandis (Wood Elf Cleric), welcome additions to the campaign. The boys, along NPC Jamna Gleamsilver (Gnome Rogue), get hired by the High Road Charter Company to accompany a caravan headed out of Waterdeep, on the way to Neverwinter... purportedly. The editing is rather tight in this episode so, resultantly, the dialogue is quick and steady. DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / BACKGROUND MUSIC Atmospheres (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim  soundtrack, Jeremy Soule) / OUTRO The Stage is Set (Europa Universalis IV  soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Timbits, jelly beans and Old Milwaukee Ice - culinary consumables to keep the DM cognizant. 

E19: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 8: TAKE THE HIGH ROAD)

The caravan continues northward. Next stop: Daggerford. But before then, Erzo (Drow Rogue) is going to spend  time intimidating passengers and use the nighttime hours to stealthily open crates in his insatiable search for loot. Mulinex (Elf Ranger/Druid) spends his time charming a young lady in a tavern at a Way Station, but is in for a surprise as to her identity. Two new NPCs are introduced into the campaign: a mischievous  gnome quite adept at circumlocution, and a mysterious human wearing a wool hat over his bald head... hmmm, what does that mean? Listen in for some clues. DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / BACKGROUND MUSIC Atmospheres + Selected Compositions (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim  soundtrack, Jeremy Soule) / OUTRO Caught Off Guard (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim  soundtrack, Jeremy Soule).The Way Station on the way to Daggerford. Something wicked that way comes. 

E18: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 7: DOPPELGANGERS, DAGGERFORD AND A DEATH)

The PCs depart Beregost, continuing on their northward trek along The Coast Way, eventually reaching Baldur's Gate. Once there, they check out a magic shop, then, via an intermediary, head over to a tavern to meet with a Paladin, who provides them with an important contact which allows the PCs to travel as guards with a caravan, soon to depart the city. In tow with this caravan are suspected members of the Cult of the Dragon, including a bunch of weirdo theatre performers pretending to be Adventurers. Intrigue, awkward NPC encounters and combat ensue. DIRECT DOWNLOAD RPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / BACKGROUND MUSIC Atmospheres (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim  soundtrack, Jeremy Soule), Shining Serpent Tavern (Neverwinter Nights  soundtrack, Bioware Corporation) / OUTRO Menu theme (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Caravan encounters overturned wagon and dead horses on the road. 

E17: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 6: BODACIOUS BLONDE-HAIRED ELF BIMBOS AT BALDUR'S GATE... AND BEYOND)

After cleaning house in the cave system at the Raiders Camp, Erzo (Drow Rogue) and Mulinex (Elf Druid/Ranger) bring back their captured Spellcaster to Greenest for interrogation. Still, all clues on the nefarious activities regarding the Cult of the Dragon point northwards. So they head toward the coast, then northwards along The Coast Way. Assuredly, what they will encounter in their travels will be either bizarre or malevolent... and the ominous shadow of Tiamat looms.  DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO A Cruce Victoria (Europa Universalis III soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Strange things eventuate along The Coast Way in Faerûn. 

E16: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 5: RETURN THE MUFFIN, THEN NORTHWARDS WE PROCEED!)

Back in the Town of Greenest, Erzo (Drow Rogue) and Mulinex (Elf Druid/Ranger) are again retained to head back to the Raiders Camp and gather further information about the Cult of the Dragon. This time, to discover what is inside the large cave that was heavily guarded when last they were there. A parchment map of an underground system of rooms has been supplied to assist the PCs in their trek. But is it accurate and reliable? What will they find? This episode is a fast moving dungeon crawl, with hilarity and high strangeness to boot.DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO Black Shield, White Cross (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Cletus the Kobold likes to eat mushrooms, or at least he did before dying. 

E15: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 4: EXPLORATION AND ANNIHILATION AT THE SUBTERRANEAN MUSHROOM PALACE)

Erzo (Drow Rogue) and Mulinex (Elf Druid/Ranger) are in transit to the Raiders camp, but first must deal with the rear guard. They are on a mission to retrieve a monk held captive at the camp and to determine where all the loot is ultimately headed. But how do they covertly penetrate a camp teeming with kobolds and cultists? The terrain is rugged and observers on the camp's watch towers constantly scan the horizon. Reconnaissance and deception, it seems, will be required. One thing is for sure, so long as there is hefty monetary compensation for the task, Erzo will stop at nothing to get paid. Listen along to this fun episode for the details. DIRECT DOWNLOAD RPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO War Without End (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).As the session proceeds, the gaming table surface inevitably gets chaotic... evil. 

E14: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 3: BIG MONEY AND A MONK AT THE RAIDERS CAMP)

 After the PCs annihilated an ensemble of looting cultists and secured the town mill, the Govenor of  Greenest still wants Erzo (Drow Rogue) and Mulinex (Elf Druid/Ranger) to help out with his desperate circumstance. The temple is still being attacked and the assailants need to be stopped. Why was the town even targeted? Where is the loot headed? What is the motivation? Listen in as Erzo and Mulinex hunt down the raiders, within town limits and in the wilderness beyond. DIRECT DOWNLOAD RPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO Voices of War (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Tiles depict plateau where stragglers have camped out, tracked by PCs. 

E13: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 2: TRACKING DOWN THE RAIDERS)

The campaign starts with two PCs: Erzo (Drow Rogue) and Mulinex (Elf Druid/Ranger). Proceeding eastward from the Sword Coast, they enter the town of Greenest during a moonlit night... but something is awry, something is very wrong. They see burning fires in the distance, black smoke billowing into the sky, hooded figures running about. What will the PCs encounter upon entry to the town? Listen in to find out.  DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO Eastern Wind (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).Town of Greenest rendered on hex battlemat plus other neat RPG paraphernalia. 

E12: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 1: MAYHEM AND MADNESS AT GREENEST)

Listen in to a stream of consciousness character creation podcast. Attributes and skill determination, equipment, armour and weapons selection, plus dice rolls, page flipping, potato chip munching, with some RPG talk. Relaxing classical music in the background, from the Victoria II video game soundtrack, adds to the anticipatory atmosphere as we prepare to traverse northward along The Sword Coast. DIRECT DOWNLOAD RPG / RULESET: Dungeons & Dragons 5e / d20 SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (Kobold Press, 2014), Player's Handbook / Monster Manual / Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2014), Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008).MUSIC: INTRO Main Title (Crusader Kings soundtrack, Paradox Interactive) / BACKGROUND MUSIC & OUTRO (Victoria II soundtrack, Paradox Interactive).CAMPAIGN ARC: TYRANNY OF DRAGONSThe Sword Coast is under siege - In an audacious bid for power, the Cult of the Dragon, along with its dragon allies and the Red Wizards of Thay, seeks to free Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells to bring her to the Forgotten Realms. The cult's forces are sweeping from town to town, laying waste to all who oppose them and gathering a hoard of riches for their dread queen. The threat is so dire, factions as disparate as the Harpers and the Zhentarium are banding together to battle the cult. Never before has the need for heroes been as desperate.This campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms on Faeruns's western shore - the Sword Coast. A thin strip of civilization stretches down this coast, where widely placed cities are arranged like beads on a string. A combination of roads and wagon tracks loosely connect the cities that stretch from  Luskan in the north to Calimport in the south, passing through Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, and other great ports along the way.The Cult of the Dragon has been active in Faerun for centuries. It has focused on making undead dragons to fulfill a prophecy most of that time, but that is changing (text adapted from HotDQ, Kobold Press, 2014).Geography of the Sword Coast on the subcontinent of Faerûn (Forgotten Realms). 

E11: HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN (SESSION 0)

Campaign Conclusion. Now that they have discovered the nefarious reasons for the Orichalcum heist, Sabus (Druas Marine) and Tarkus Zull (Atlantean Alchemist) must stop their arch-nemesis from annihilating Atlantis with a global superflood. This will require travelling via a sub-oceanic Orichalcum/Vril-powered rail system all the way to the port at Cyrago, on the Saharan Sea, on the continent of Gondwana. What will the PCs encounter at the end of the line? Will they be able to prevent the Second Age from ending? DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Atlantis: The Second Age 1e / Omni SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Atlantis: The Second Age / The Omni System (Morrigan Press, 2005), Atlantis: The Second Age (Khepera Publishing, 2014), Geographica (Khepera Publishing, 2014), GURPS Atlantis (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), Twilight of Atlantis (Avalanche Press, 2001), Parsantium: City at the Crossroads (Ondine Publishing, 2014), The Paladium RPG - Book II: Old Ones (Palladium Books Incorporated, 1993).MUSIC / SOUND: INTRO Snake Shake (Escape from New York soundtrack, John Carpenter) / INCIDENTAL SOUND EFFECTS www.freesound.org / OUTRO Humanity, Part 2 (The Thing soundtrack, Ennio Morricone).Underground station at the the end of the line. 

E10: ATLANTIS - THE SECOND AGE (SESSION 9: TO END ALL THINGS)

 Sabus (Druas Marine) and Tarkus Zull (Atlantean Alchemist) hop on their ostriches and follow the rail line downward to beneath Mineous. Seemingly disconnected aspects of the story so far coalesce and converge in this session: true identities of NPCs emerge, why the seaport across the ocean at Cyrago was overtaken by rebels, an explanation for the anomalous atmospheric phenomena and - most astonishingly - reasons for the Orichalcum heist. Listen in to discover the revealing details.DIRECT DOWNLOADRPG / RULESET: Atlantis: The Second Age 1e / Omni SystemSUPPLEMENTS: Atlantis: The Second Age / The Omni System (Morrigan Press, 2005), Atlantis: The Second Age (Khepera Publishing, 2014), Geographica (Khepera Publishing, 2014), GURPS Atlantis (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), Twilight of Atlantis (Avalanche Press, 2001), Parsantium: City at the Crossroads (Ondine Publishing, 2014), The Paladium RPG - Book II: Old Ones (Palladium Books Incorporated, 1993).MUSIC: INTRO Snake Shake (Escape from New York soundtrack) / OUTRO Kasuf Returns (Stargate soundtrack, David Arnold).Depiction of what PCs encounter beneath Minoeus. Welcome to Bizarroland. 

E9: ATLANTIS - THE SECOND AGE (SESSION 8: BENEATH THE RUINED CITY OF MINOEUS)

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