E013 - Class: Full Potential - Barbarians: All the Rage
This week brings the first of many episodes that focus on classes and the panel of Dungeon Masters has decided to begin with Barbarians! Specifically focusing on Path of the Totem Warrior, Path of the Berserker, and Path of the Battlerager, the three DM's look at both lore and mechanics, as well as how they would use the class in creative ways.
Read MoreE012 - Worldbuilding - In the Beginning…
In the first Worldbuilding episode, the Dungeon Masters do their best to stay on topic as they tear into the idea of campaign preparation from different angles. When discussing the idea of prepping a new campaign, the panel focuses on how to get ready mentally for both homebrew campaigns and published modules, how to prep magic items and NPC's when thinking about plot hooks, and what good starting locations should include. With a focus on how DM’s should think about gearing up for Session One, different philosophies clash and things get heated!
Read MoreEpisode 011 - Lore - Forgotten Realms: Fantasizing with Friends
With the discussion about pillars of Dungeons & Dragons wrapped up, the panel of DM's decides to look into WHY people play D&D as opposed to other games. The first broad topic is determining what defines the fantasy genre, what it makes it so attractive, and what draws the hosts to this roleplaying game, specifically the Forgotten Realms setting. As the conversation moves to the details of Forgotten Realms, the Dungeon Masters discuss what the most interesting pieces of the Forgotten Realms lore actually are, and what they find the most inspiring about them. From nostalgia and inspiration to comparing the differences between gritty campaigns, high fantasy campaigns, and low fantasy campaigns, this episode covers a wide variety of topics and often goes completely off the rails!
Read MoreE010 - Mailbag of Holding 1 - The Purple Saxophone
The very first Mailbag of Holding episode hits with 20 questions rolled on random tables that the Dungeon Masters address, including their advice for DM's and players, their experiences playing, and even their personal lives. From old school monsters to TPK's to 6th Edition, this episode has a little bit of everything and lives up to the promise that on the It's A Mimic! podcast, you never know what you're going to get! The Dungeon Masters even cover beer, sex, and shadowy government organizations! Don't miss this episode!
Read MoreThis is a more mature episode that handles sensitive subject matter as it tries to address the delicate nature of issues at the table and personality differences among players. To wrap up the broad strokes of the final tier, the panel of Dungeon Masters covers the concepts of social contracts, Session Zero, and respect. Other than the game mechanics and RPG flavour, what are the logistics that should be addressed to keep the game fun and allow everyone to feel comfortable and free to take roleplaying risks? The DM's attempt to open the conversation up this week and give their opinions on many of the taboo subjects that have historically been tied to the game.
Read MoreWhat do you know and what does your character know, and where do those knowledge bases overlap? The conversation this week points our Dungeon Masters toward one of the most controversial topics in the D&D community: Meta-Gaming. They tackle the pros and cons before moving on to discuss character motivations and how they may be contrary or complementary to player motivations. The podcast wraps by talking about immersion in the world and how to achieve it.
Read More007 is notorious for dropping his alias at the earliest possible moment, often even going undercover with his real name, so it’s fitting that Episode 007 is the one where The Dungeon Masters tackle the idea of staying in character and turn to the final tier of play: Roleplaying. Each of the DM’s start by discussing how they tend to build their characters when they get to be players, and then move on to creating atmosphere and immersion with voices, costumes, music, props, and more. The conversation turns, finally, to pacing and teamwork, and it’s amazing how often the panel actually agrees!
Read MoreEpisode 006 - Exploration - Ability Checks and Discovery
In this episode, the Dungeon Masters conclude the series on Exploration by looking at their different techniques for using overland maps and analyzing each other's tactics for creating the world. As they open up the conversation on traps and puzzles, the DM's move back and forth between the players' perspective and the Dungeon Master's, discussing their own tactics depending on which side of the DM Screen they are sitting on. They wrap up the episode with a deep dive into Ability Checks and when to use which ability. With vastly different points of view and wildly off-topic tangents, this episode is packed with content for absolutely everyone!
Read MoreEpisode 005 - Exploration - Environments
Dungeons & Dragons is full of unique and dangerous locations, and the panel of Dungeon Masters sit down in this week’s episode to cover a wide variety of topics regarding the settings of campaigns. From the importance of climate and weather to a whirlwind tour of the planes, the DM’s travel around the landscapes and dispense their own unique takes on the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons.
Read MoreE004 - Exploration - The Forgotten Pillar
In this week’s episode of the It’s A Mimic! podcast, the Dungeon Masters leave combat tactics behind and focus on exploration and why it’s important. The discussion topics that they cover include why exploration is important, description and narration, and engaging players with different exploratory strategies. From mystery and the unknown, to ability checks and skill challenges, the panel covers a series of topics all related to discovering details of the world outside of battle and social encounters!
Read MoreEpisode 003 - Combat - Enemy Combat Tactics
The panel of Dungeon Masters concludes their preliminary look at combat, this time focusing on the tactics of creatures, both intelligent and unintelligent, as well bosses and villains. As they break down different ways that other DM’s may use the same creatures with different motivations, they begin looking at how environments, enemy groupings, and overarching plots can inform the tactics of each bad guy on the battlefield.
Read MoreEpisode 002 - Combat - Theater of the Mind and Balance
Continuing the conversation about combat, the panel of Dungeon Masters expand the discussion to cover more specific tips for DMs. The main talking points in this episode tackle the differences between Theater of the Mind and using Maps and Minis, how to balance combat encounters, and whether or not to help players when things go awry.
Read MoreEpisode 001 - Combat - Dynamic Battles
The dungeon masters tackle the idea of what makes combat fun and interesting, even for players who have played before. Key topics include battle environments, shifting motivations mid-battle, and enemy intelligence.
Read MoreThe last and longest episode of the Meet the DMs series focuses on the idea of D&D tropes and what they mean to the different Dungeon Masters. As they move away from 5th Edition, they dissect the pros and cons of regular cliches and touchstone ideas in the Dungeons and Dragons landscape.
Read MoreAs the conversation moves on to the Dungeon Masters favourite and least favourite spells, they discuss the benefits and flaws of altering the terrain, and some frustrating styles of magic from a DM’s perspective.
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