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Ever wondered what it's like to live in the shoes of a Wood Elf Ranger or how to craft a compelling D&D character backstory? Join us as we navigate these fantastical terrains with our special guest - Kat, a math teacher with a deep love for all things nerdy, role-playing, and LARPing. From her first introduction to the world of AD&D, her journey to 5e and the creation of her captivating character, Zalana Faira, Cat shares her experiences and insights with us. She dives into her love for cosplay, her favorite characters from the Naruto series, and the Lord of the Rings inspiration behind her first D&D character.
As we venture further down the rabbit hole, we engage in a spirited conversation about character development in D&D. Kat shares some of her characters' thrilling accomplishments, such as the moment when Kat, her character, came into possession of a magical sword, and adopted both a nothic and a goblin. We also discuss the importance of a strong backstory, how a character can evolve during a campaign and the role catchphrases, actions, and unique laughs play in making characters more dynamic. Our conversation takes a deeper turn as we explore the emotional impact of character deaths and the significance of a well-crafted backstory.
Of course, our conversation isn't solely for the serious, we also found ourselves sharing some of the lighter sides of D&D. We chuckle over fond memories, like the time when Kat took an immediate action that led to an unexpected resolution. We close off by commenting on the pivotal role of the Dungeon Master in crafting the storyline, driving the narrative forward, and creating the perfect atmosphere of suspense. Come join us on this journey, and immerse yourself in the captivating tales and experiences that Dungeons and Dragons has to offer.
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Speaker 1:
music playing, playing slowly. Welcome, fellow adventurers. You've tuned into yet another thrilling chapter of Legends, Loot and Lore, the podcast that delves deep into the heart of all things Dungeons and Dragons. We're your hosts, Andrew and Joe, and today's journey promises to be an extraordinary one. Gather around as we sit down with a dear friend and fellow explorer, our friend Cat, to unravel the threads of D&D characters, delve into the art of role-playing and even venture into the captivating world of LARPing. Thank you for joining us on this quest and, without further ado, let's roll for initiative and join the conversation. Music playing, playing slowly. Joining the podcast today is our good friend, Cat Cat. Future Mistress of the Universe is her official title. Yes, Welcome, welcome, Cat.
Speaker 2:
Thank you thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:
We're happy to have you, so we've got so much to talk about.
Speaker 3:
We have quite a few questions for you. Future Mistress, if you're going to be ruling the universe, maybe we should figure out a few things about you beforehand.
Speaker 1:
So why don't you begin, why don't you introduce yourself to us a little bit? Tell us a little about your background how, what kind of what got you into D&D where? How did you first get into it? What else you're interested in, because I know, feel free to talk about LARPing, because I know that's a a a favorite pastime of yours. So tell us what's what's, what's your, what's your introduction to Dungeons and Dragons?
Speaker 2:
Oh, my introduction to D&D was way back in the day when when was with AD&D.
Speaker 3:
Wow, ad&d, okay, yes, that's official second right, second edition officially Second edition?
Speaker 2:
yes, so I played. That was when I was in middle school. So I did some D&D back then with second edition and then didn't really play any of third or fourth edition but then was really happy to jump back in with fifth because I was feeling the itch again. So some of the other things that I do you mentioned LARPing. I do love to LARP, I sew, I make costumes. I'm into cosplay, conventions, all sorts of nerdy fandom stuff, and I'm a math teacher.
Speaker 1:
How exciting. So let me ask this question, because I've never asked you this before. So what has been your favorite cosplay that you have you have done, or do you have some particular favorites that you like to do?
Speaker 2:
Yes, I have my one. My very favorite is Lady Tsunade, who's a character from the Naruto series. She's my favorite because she's the Hokage, which is like the boss of the village. Not a lot of people cosplay her, so I don't usually run into myself. A lot of people like her and most people who know her will listen to her, so I can run around and boss people around.
Speaker 3:
She's practicing for that future ruler of the universe already. That's right.
Speaker 2:
Are you sensing a theme?
Speaker 1:
I'm picking up what you're putting down.
Speaker 2:
But yeah, that's a really fun one.
Speaker 1:
Awesome. So how have you been playing 5e? Now D&D 5e, the latest edition of D&D.
Speaker 2:
And Joe, maybe you can help me out here. I want to say it's about three years Four 2019.
Speaker 3:
Oh my gosh, we were hip before everybody else because we were playing online before everybody was doing it because of the pandemic. But we started. I started in March of 19, and I think you were started at the end of March of 19, because my friend Joe was going to play and then he bailed and then I was like, oh, I got to call Kat.
Speaker 1:
So let's talk about your minds of Fandel over characters. So who refreshed my memory? Because I have a terrible memory. So talk about who was your first character when we started playing.
Speaker 2:
All right, so for that one I made, Zalana Faira was her name. All right, and she was a Wood Elf Ranger.
Speaker 1:
Nice, okay, nice combo.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you know, I like. I prefer to think of it as classic rather than cliche.
Speaker 3:
It's just such a more cultured term than the you know.
Speaker 1:
No, I like it's a great combo. It's. I think it's. It's we've already been talking about. We've already been talking about the elves and and fighters, so so we've covered those already on the podcast. So I think it's. It really is a solid combination. If you're looking to to maximize the stats on on some of those, the features, the racial features that that the Wood Elf has, so that's a that's a great combination, so what? So? So is, was there any inspiration to this character? Or how did you come up with Zalana? Right, I want to make sure I get that Zalana.
Speaker 2:
Yes, zalana, how did you? How did you?
Speaker 1:
come up with that. What was your first character? What was your, what was your process?
Speaker 2:
With the name.
Speaker 1:
With the name, with the character, with the, with the picking, the race in the class, et cetera. How did you, how did you develop that character?
Speaker 2:
Gotcha Well, the name was fantasy name generator.
Speaker 3:
Okay, that works. Great tool for names.
Speaker 2:
Yes, love it. And what I usually do is I'll go through and I'll make a list of first names, I'll make a list of last names and then I'll just see what I like that goes together.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
That's often how I'll I'll pick my character names Nice.
Speaker 1:
That works.
Speaker 2:
And then for the character itself, it was definitely and hear me out, okay, it was a Lord of the Rings inspiration, but it wasn't Legolas. Yes, I was an elf that shot a bow, right? However, I mean, legolas is fine, don't get me wrong but I'm not necessarily a big Legolas girl. Okay, really, what I was going for, I really wanted to have that, that confidence of Aragorn. I did want to have the the be a great woodsman, and obviously I was an archer, like Legolas. But you know, I really wanted to be, you know, a fighter as well, like Gimli. But I also wanted to be a little bit unexpected, A little bit of a little naughty cause a little trouble here and there. You know a little peregrine tookish.
Speaker 3:
Sneak around in the shadows a little bit.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely.
Speaker 1:
Nice.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so I was. I didn't have inspiration from just one character but, I. There was a whole lot of Lord of the Rings inspiration going on in there. But I really felt like it was more of from my point of view, more of an Aragorn inspiration, even though it was an elf with a bow.
Speaker 3:
So I'm just thinking back to the way that that campaign went and I was wondering did you intend to make your character tied to nature, specifically animals, or was that just something that developed throughout the campaign? Because was that something you were thinking of as a ranger?
Speaker 2:
I think the animal thing came out because of my own personality.
Speaker 3:
That wasn't something you predetermined into your character and that's something we've been trying to say on the podcast too is that you create your character however you want. It's going to change a little bit as you play it. That's how it's going to be. You come out in everything that you make.
Speaker 1:
You can't help but kind of infuse yourself into the character To some extent. I think that's just natural.
Speaker 2:
Because I didn't necessarily lean into a Beastmaster Ranger. She took the Hunter. But me being meme, being the animal lover and the former animal trainer literally former animal keeper, animal trainer I'm going to do what I'm going to do, that's right. If you present me an animal, I'm probably going to try and feed it.
Speaker 3:
And you've done so many times in that campaign.
Speaker 1:
And not even just animals I will hearken back to. I believe it was a no-thick that you be friended, barry. What was the no-thick's name, barry? Barry the no-thick.
Speaker 3:
She had the great idea to feed the dead bodies of all the people we killed, and then she wanted to protect the owl bear, so the owl bear was released. Instead of having a fairly tough combat against the owl bear, I think she was the first one to try to feed the wolves in the early cave.
Speaker 2:
Feed the wolves yeah.
Speaker 3:
I mean, that's just you and who you are.
Speaker 1:
Remember I think it was Curse of Strahd that we were playing, we had the undead cats, we had like a menagerie of animals following us around we had an actual menagerie in that one there was cats.
Speaker 2:
Living and undead animals.
Speaker 3:
There was cats, there was a monkey, there was hellhounds, there was an axe beak. I mean, the list just keeps going.
Speaker 2:
And I actually had very little to do with that collecting of animals.
Speaker 3:
That's true. I did not have. That's true.
Speaker 1:
It was an inspiration to us all, though I think. I think it just it just naturally came that way. We can't help it. Well, I don't care for for animals, both living and undead.
Speaker 2:
Well see, because it worked out so well.
Speaker 1:
It certainly did now. Now they've got a new Fandelver adventure coming out.
Speaker 3:
I've been looking into that a little bit. I haven't gotten much details on it yet.
Speaker 1:
I'm thinking I really want to play that. What is it? Do you want to play it again?
Speaker 3:
Under, I don't know, underneath, there's something like that underneath the obelisk.
Speaker 1:
There's something about an obelisk in the you're going to run it.
Speaker 3:
Do you want to play it? You don't want to run it. You want me to run it? I'd run it like Strixhaven.
Speaker 1:
When I tried running Strixhaven that was that was. That was very complicated because there wasn't a lot.
Speaker 3:
Strixhaven was a social adventure that was really meant to be played by people around the table. Yeah, and we like that would have worked a lot better.
Speaker 1:
That would have been a great in person once Strixhaven, but I would, I would. I would happily run the new Fandelver campaign.
Speaker 3:
When's it come?
Speaker 1:
out. I believe it's coming out. Ok Now, now we're going to look this up.
Speaker 3:
We're going to look this up because if you're really going to do that, maybe you can do it after we finish the dragons Tier any of dragons, let's go source books.
Speaker 2:
I'm very excited about a Fandelver extension.
Speaker 1:
Oh, here it is, fandelver, and below the shattered obelisk. Oh, oh, available September 9th, where books are sold. Nineteenth, nineteenth, september 19th.
Speaker 3:
So it's only a few weeks away. So the real question is a what's levels one through 12. So would you recreate your character or would you make a new one? Oh, so the idea of recreating your character, recreating your character, is, theoretically, you would be downgrading your character back to level one, because this is an adventure for level one to 12. So that's that's something to think about.
Speaker 1:
Get the gang back together again.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, but that would be really interesting. Then what would I do? Would I pick up Fianc and try to play Fianc?
Speaker 1:
I don't, I don't, I don't know. There's, there's so many options.
Speaker 3:
Well, you also have two new players in that campaign. So I think, I think we'd just get new characters.
Speaker 2:
As long as it's not Darwin.
Speaker 3:
That's when somebody interviews me. We're not going to get into my, my grotesque no no, no, no, no. We're a creature.
Speaker 1:
We spent we spent plenty of time talking about me, joe, so we've talked about this.
Speaker 3:
We've talked about this.
Speaker 1:
Right, we've talked about the hideous touching. Joe went on about touching everything and and, and what the consequences of that were.
Speaker 3:
However, I could convince anybody to do anything for me because I was that charismatic by the time I was done with it. I was really overpowered in that manner. Maybe my visual appearance, but I didn't walk around in a cloak and get a little deodorant for the odor that was coming off. I'm good to go, man, I could run the entire. I could be the emperor.
Speaker 1:
I don't think there's enough ax body spray in the world that would cover up that odor.
Speaker 3:
But I could have been the emperor in Star Wars. I mean, he has all that power and he's just in that shroud so nobody sees him.
Speaker 1:
I don't, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3:
Anyway, anyway, so what about your backstory, kat? What was the inspiration for your backstory? Or was it just something you kind of searched around for ideas, or just something you plucked completely out of your head?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I just cobbled something together that seemed to make sense. I hello Leo.
Speaker 3:
There's our Leo. Here comes, here comes and there it is so, for those of you who don't know, we play every Monday and Tuesday night. Kat plays in the Tuesday night campaign and Leo always makes an appointment appearance and he always gives us a little cat butt.
Speaker 1:
Never, never lets us down.
Speaker 2:
No. So for the backstory, I'm not, you know, for for people that are in the backstories, that's great. That's not me. I just put together enough to get me going. She was a folk hero. I don't remember the details now I had some, but I don't remember them anymore and her sister was killed and I was out to avenge her.
Speaker 1:
There you have it yeah.
Speaker 2:
The rest is a little murky.
Speaker 3:
Which was always really interesting, because I think you ended up taking the stone crafter or the gem crafter yeah, jeweler, jeweler, the jeweler, like sub, what was that? That was. That was one of the oh the folk hero, right, the folk hero could be the jeweler. And I remember sitting and I was like why'd you do this? And I think I think when we talked about it, you said the jeweler was something to do with your sister and that's why you became the jeweler or something like that. But I mean, that is four years ago.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
I think you make a good point, though, Kat, that you don't necessarily have to and I think I was talking about this one when I was interviewing James, talking about you don't necessarily have to have a fully fleshed out backstory at the beginning. It's something that you can write over the duration of the adventure and build out that backstory as you go. So I think that's a good point for beginning players. You don't need this huge, huge tale of woe or tragedy or whatever. You can start with one or two basic facts and build from there as the story goes on. So I think that's a really good point.
Speaker 3:
And he even said just putting a few pieces in together. That's really like gold for the DM, because then they can use that and integrate your character story into the adventure any way that they want. You want to have a detailed backstory? That's great. You don't go for it. But for a DM like he was saying, you give him like three or four tidbits, forget it. He'll create a whole little scenario for you, just for you. You never have to worry about it. But I'm one of those people that I have like that little bit of creative spark. So when I start with a backstory it's at least two pages and I'm like why can't I write papers like this in college?
Speaker 2:
Right and that's great. And sometimes some characters I have this idea and it rolls like. With Ray, she had a decent amount of backstory, my total cleric, but most of mine don't. They have enough pieces that I can kind of imagine them, that I can imagine my character in my mind, that I can kind of picture you know, okay, well, how, how would this backstory motivate this person? How would they then sound? What would they do? And as long as I have enough to do that to role play them and to figure out what kind of actions they would then take. That's enough for me.
Speaker 1:
So, with some of your characters not necessarily just Zalana, but your other characters what are some of your fondest memories of things that have happened throughout the campaigns? What's something that stands out to you from all of your campaigning?
Speaker 2:
Oh, I mean getting a no thick.
Speaker 1:
That was huge.
Speaker 2:
And a manner. I ended up with a manner and a magical sword and a pet, no thick, and apparently, according to my notes, a goblin as well. You had a goblin. What did we name that goblin?
Speaker 3:
I came up with a crazy, stupid, simple name for that goblin and I don't remember what it was. So when we went to, when you guys went to Craig Maulkeep, right, there was a goblin who the goblin was being bullied by the orcs and when you saved him he decided to try to. He gave you some information and stuff like that and he kind of followed you around like a lost puppy and she kind of adopted him and the whole group kind of adopted him and he kind of followed you around for the rest of the adventure.
Speaker 2:
We just, and then stayed at my manner, with my no thick, projecting my manner and my no thick.
Speaker 1:
That's right.
Speaker 2:
Yes, see, see working, working on my mistress status.
Speaker 3:
So, so there's actually a whole new background story for you, right? You know this adventure comes in, takes over the manner and helps everybody, you know, get rid of the bad guys. There were a group of ruffians that were inhabiting it and they bring in this goblin who's like the butler of the whole place. You know, he's taken care of the whole thing and and all of a sudden, you know, people start disappearing. This one does and this one disappears. And the truth of the matter is, is this goblin's been killing all the you know, the castoffs of the society of the township, dragging it into the basement of the manner to feed the no thick, so the no thick doesn't go crazy and kill everybody else.
Speaker 1:
There are so many ways you could go with this. I'm, this is now. This is what I'm what I'm I'm thinking of. I'm thinking maybe the start of the second fan Delver adventure is that that mistress is over on a summons, summons these adventurers to the mansion and sends them on there, sends them on their way. So maybe, maybe Zolanda, who's been living there this whole time, now is is is sending them either to their doom or to their glory.
Speaker 2:
And I love that. I love when characters come back.
Speaker 1:
Yes, that is great Now we'll definitely have to work on one of my other favorite things yes.
Speaker 2:
Joe, do you remember your first player character death.
Speaker 3:
If memory serves, that was Rob's Dragonborn drinking himself to death.
Speaker 2:
No it was not.
Speaker 3:
Oh what.
Speaker 2:
What was it for that?
Speaker 3:
in the fan delver campaign.
Speaker 2:
This, it was in fan delver.
Speaker 3:
Who did you change out your character? I?
Speaker 2:
did not, I killed the character.
Speaker 3:
Besides, you killed. Oh, I can't help that Criff ran into the middle of a combat and he just made him. You remember Chris bagel a? I have the worst memory. So my 11 year old son's character.
Speaker 1:
Oh my, oh, my God. That's right. Everybody was yelling at me, but like what was I?
Speaker 3:
supposed to do. I mean, the mechanics of the game said that he ran into the middle of a room of enemies and everybody started whacking at him.
Speaker 2:
Joe's first character death was my 11 year old son. Wow, probably scarred him for life.
Speaker 3:
Now he probably hates my guts now. He probably sits there and says you're going to play with that guy. He killed me, mom, Don't you remember?
Speaker 1:
Child death That'll teach him to build weak characters. That's right.
Speaker 3:
Thank you. Thank you, I forgot about him.
Speaker 1:
You should take a little responsibility himself for this.
Speaker 3:
So 50 50 here. Maybe I ganged up on him, but you should have toughened up a little bit.
Speaker 2:
That's right. That's right. You should have better death saves. That's right. Yep Creative.
Speaker 1:
Oh my God, so so. So, looking, looking back, is there, is there anything you would do? Anything you do differently with your, with your first character, Zalana, or would you do anything differently with any of your characters?
Speaker 2:
Well, I mean, I don't know that there's anything I do differently. There are things that I know now that I would incorporate, like um, sometimes my characters will have a catchphrase, like my total cleric, before she cast anything said by the strength of the sun and the moon, I cast blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
So she had a catchphrase. Some of my characters have a certain action that they repeat all the time. I have a bugbear that likes to sever the heads of his enemies for his God, Hugric. So I would have incorporated something a little more of a certain role playing aspect like that, which are actually pretty easy, Maybe a particular laugh, or you know a particular phrase that she likes, something like that. Got it so, but I wouldn't have changed anything, just maybe added.
Speaker 3:
Right, I would try that and I think it's partially on me and partially on you guys. Andrew's character was supposed to and he did it for the first couple of times. Every time he returned to Fendelver he rolled his dice and he gave away a certain percentage of his money that he got and he never told anybody about it because that was part of his, his, his character backstory and you were supposed to get drunk every time you went back to town because you were drinking away the memories of your, of your, your sister and, and, like everybody, had something.
Speaker 2:
I hated town so much oh that's right I love the woods.
Speaker 3:
You were yes.
Speaker 2:
I just hated being in town so much. I was just so like, oh, we have to be here. I can't stand being here, so I would sneak off. First I'd have to try and sneak, yeah, and then I would roll to see if I got drunk, and then I think it's on my character sheet.
Speaker 3:
I think Steve was. He was supposed to be like I don't remember exactly what his was. I think, now that we're talking about it, he was supposed to be like, you know, like a Don Juan trying to be a Don Juan type of character, Like he was. Yeah, he was constantly trying to hit on Christina's character and Christina kept rebuffing him as Shava and kept him like no go away. And then we went into that one in and he rolled a nat one to seduce the wench. Oh man.
Speaker 2:
But did anybody like the cleric you mean in general. In general.
Speaker 3:
I don't think anybody really disliked him.
Speaker 1:
There was a lot of sexual tension.
Speaker 2:
Well, they were married in real life Fair.
Speaker 3:
But there's sexual tension in like every game that we play. You guys bring up everything about sexual tension. We're like a bunch of teenagers.
Speaker 1:
I have to tell you one thing both of you. So it was so funny earlier earlier on Monday, so we played Monday night. Earlier on Monday I posted this video on TikTok about it was it was. It was using one of those like cap cut like video, like, like like green screen videos of this guy going like everything's okay, it's okay, everything's okay. No, there's not a problem. And the whole thing was like the comment I put on it was I said, when you accidentally kill the NPC, who had valuable information, and it was weird how that like actually played out that night. Fortunately, fortunately the NPC didn't have valuable information, but but but Kat's character, maten's like just came in swinging. Eventually it was just like I've had enough of this and just like lopped off the head of this poor character.
Speaker 3:
It was a 15 20 minute conversation. Bill trying to argue that we need to save the guy Andrew, kind of being like going back and forth about what it is, and Kat's just like what do we need them for? Kill them.
Speaker 2:
I know like I'm over here Checks alignment. Yeah, chaotic evil, his head's coming off.
Speaker 3:
It was. It was one of the most satisfying conclusions to a discussion. So a lot of times, what happened is when people I'm sure, I'm sure we're satisfying for you when people end up in these, these monster battles, conversations, sometimes the DM will start throwing dice just to you know, scare them, make them think, hey, we got to move and keep going. But then I was always sitting there and I was listening to it. I was just like this is, this is priceless, Like I'm loving this. And then it started getting a little old and I was just like, okay, and then cash is like no off with the set. But yes, he did not have any vital information for you, Like. The thing that was so suspicious to Bill was why did they put him down in the dragon's cave to help him heal if he was sick? It's like and I said it twice, I was like because it's warmer down here.
Speaker 1:
It's. I think there's a lot of distrust of a DM.
Speaker 3:
So I can help that. I'm perfectly trustworthy. I say exactly what I mean every single time Not buying it.
Speaker 1:
Not buying it. I'm not buying what you're selling. You're rolling poorly for persuasion right now. I am. I am not buying it.
Speaker 3:
I can't help it that your insight is not telling you the truth.
Speaker 1:
I'm rolling poor on insight. You're rolling poor on persuasion, whatever.
Speaker 3:
Let's just keep rolling.
Speaker 1:
That's right, let's keep on. Keep on rolling. What are the questions? Do we have my goodness?
Speaker 3:
So I'm thinking specifically of Ray here. But I remember you, you had goal. Did you have goals with any of your other characters that you wanted to accomplish? I remember Ray was like this young teenager who was out there to experience the world and that group definitely scarred the living crap out of her with some of the things that they said. But anyway, did you have goals with anybody else, like when you created your character For them in the story? I mean not for you personally.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes, um, let's see, matenza was trying to collect a bunch of gold so that he can raise his own army, or, you know, hoard, or whatever you want to call it, and go kick some go kick some butt. I guess Something like that he was trying to take.
Speaker 3:
He's also kind of lazy, though, so we'll see how that works out.
Speaker 2:
Um, let's see. Oh, petra had a vendetta against Undead, so she was out to clear the land of Undead. And, you know, bring Thor's holiness to the land. Oh, what would they?
Speaker 1:
cause.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, especially in the land of Strahd.
Speaker 1:
Yes.
Speaker 2:
Let's see Taurus.
Speaker 3:
Oh, Taurus, Was any destined to become a great? Try to become a great musical.
Speaker 2:
Yes, he was a minotaur that had been a pirate or something, and he often decided that he was going to become a bard. Why not, so he had to learn music and he was terrible.
Speaker 3:
And what was your instrument?
Speaker 2:
again, the slide whistle.
Speaker 3:
And what was your weapon again? Didn't you have like a giant slide whistle that you used to hit people?
Speaker 2:
Oh, I just beat people with my slide whistle.
Speaker 3:
Which was your club?
Speaker 2:
Which was like, which was a club?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I just clubbed people with my giant slide whistle Nice and one of the cool things about being a bard is you know you can walk into any place or any environment in the street corner, you can play, and if you play well enough or people feel sorry enough for you, they give you some coin. Well, I tweaked it a little bit for her. She could do an intimidation check after she played and if she's scared of people, well enough to give her coin anyway.
Speaker 1:
That's definitely one way to do it.
Speaker 3:
And who was it? Well, one of the player characters was in love with your cat. Your acting Was it. Was it? Was it Mike's dwarf, or something like that? It was just like. Every time you went to play, they were like yeah, you're fantastic, you're fantastic.
Speaker 2:
It must have been Mike.
Speaker 3:
It had to be Mike, that was. That was Mike, liz's and Chris's first adventure into 5E D&D, so that was a. We played through the mountains of Vindalva again, right right right. That was. They did it backwards. They went through the whole thing and then they were supposed to go to Cragmaw Keep and then to the Echo Echo Wave Caves. Right, Well, they found out about the Echo Wave Caves first. So they went to the Echo Wave Caves first and then went to Cragmaw Castle. So they completed the adventure, and then they went back to finish fighting off the orcs. So they didn't find out about any of these. The goblin, how disappointing. Which goes to show you can run the game however you want and the people can play the game however they want. So again, we keep talking about how customizable this game is in so many ways.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and as somebody that played in in that Fandover as well the second time, it was really fun to kind of do it backwards.
Speaker 3:
So this kind of leads to a different question Was there any surprising or unexpected developments of your characters specifically your first one, but even any of them that they had some type of change that they they went through, or some type of growth that happened to them that altered your, your perception of them or your play style of them?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, Well, with you know, thinking about Zalana, when I created her, I was really focused on her being, like I said, a bowman and archer. You know, I took archery as as my style and I was, that was my focus, that was my thing. But then, as we were doing the adventure, I found some really badass stuff. Like I found gauntlets of ogre strength, ooh. So I went from having a strength of 12 to having a strength of 19. Wow, which isn't going to do you any good with a bow. I also found a plus one sword.
Speaker 3:
That was the sword of Transcenderman, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, interesting. So, those gauntlets remind me of, like the, the, the incredible Hulk gloves that people like to wear and punch around that's. That's how. That's how I kind of imagine your character with these giant like green gloves on. Just punch it and punch and stuff.
Speaker 2:
Yeah exactly. Yeah, so it was pretty cool. So she started out as very much a ranged character yeah. That's her. Ac was not great, but then you know she ended up being you know a lot largely a melee character, but she, you know, she had great options.
Speaker 1:
Right, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:
Nice yeah.
Speaker 1:
So let me ask you, let me ask you this question how so?
Speaker 3:
which question? This question, this question, this question. I want to ask you this question.
Speaker 1:
So we've talked a lot about your, your characters and and how they've changed and and developed over over time. I've been, I've been reading this, this fantastic book about how, how psychologists are using D&D in therapy. How has has, has D&D what you've, what you've played out in D&D? Has that had any impact on you personally and and and and your relationship to others? The world Like? Has it? Has it? Has it done anything for you in in that regard?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, well, I agree. Uh yeah, murder, hobo-ing is definitely therapeutic.
Speaker 1:
Very, I've there. There have been many times when I've come home from work saying I just can't wait to kill something tonight, like it's just Exactly yeah.
Speaker 3:
I always equated to back when I would come home from school and I would be pissed off at something and I'd get my old super Nintendo out and play Mortal Kombat and just beat the crap out of the character.
Speaker 1:
Right, so it's the same concept. There's something very freeing, and not not even just about. It's just about doing something that that kind of just lets out all of this anger in in a somewhat healthy if there, if there's a way to kill something in a healthy manner, um, but, but just but. Just letting out. Letting out all that, all of those things you want to say to your coworkers or your boss, or or to your kids or or to whomever that that you can't say to them. And and and put it through your character when, when faced with a, with a foe that you need to need to defeat, Absolutely, absolutely, and and, to figure out how to do it creatively.
Speaker 2:
And you know, maybe, if you're good or neutral with the people that you're, you're adventuring with right. Or if you're evil, however you want Um, um, but for me also, it led me into LARP. Cause I probably wouldn't have ended up LARPing if I weren't already doing role playing in D&D.
Speaker 1:
Right Interesting. So how did you so? How did you get started in in LARPing?
Speaker 2:
Well, uh, a friend of mine who's also a Star Trek fan, like all three of us are, um is in LARP, Okay. And he said you know what, let me just add you to our Facebook group Group.
Speaker 3:
Uh-huh, that's how it starts.
Speaker 2:
Nice, just, you know, see what happens. And so, after just sitting in the Facebook group, I was like, oh, look at all those costumes.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Oh man, that looks so cool. And then I was like I could create a character and I could go just be that character in person.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Just like I do on paper, but I love to sew and I can actually make a costume and wear it.
Speaker 1:
Is that? Is that kind of like the best of cosplaying at a con and role playing a character in D&D and kind of putting that, putting those two parts together into this, into this, this real world kind of adventure?
Speaker 2:
Yes, and when I say I want to hit him with my sword, though I just whack him with my sword.
Speaker 3:
I actually swing my sword at them, yeah.
Speaker 2:
And then I get whacked right back. That's awesome, yeah, so, and that's great because it's it's a community, right? Larp is a community of of good friends that I've made, so so that's been great too.
Speaker 1:
That's fantastic. Yeah, you ever have any other questions, joe.
Speaker 3:
I just wanted to ask one more thing. You know one one of our friends. One of my things that I love about D&D is the interactions people have with each other as you're playing the game. So was there any time that your character interacted with another character or your personal interaction with another player really stood out to you in any of the campaigns that you played?
Speaker 2:
Let's see Taurus's bad jokes Stand out, because I'm not, I'm not a bard type.
Speaker 3:
I remember you went looking those up, you looked up, you looked up. Uh uh uh. Shakespearean insults yes.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, um, so so those stand out. And then I learned to play the one thing I could play on on an actual slide whistle. There you go, the thing from the the ugly Yup. So those, those stand out.
Speaker 1:
That's why I tried being a bard, but this adventure hold on the Christmas one shot. The.
Speaker 2:
Christmas one shot, when we all made Joe, like cringe, cover his ears. I think that's when he started wearing headphones.
Speaker 3:
Yes, that was. That was about the time I had to start wearing headphones, because it was just a little too much for Mama Dukes to hear.
Speaker 2:
Achievement unlocked. Yes, that was, that was priceless. That was teamwork at its best.
Speaker 1:
Now there are minds you did you have. You are either of you watchers of only murders in the building? No, I did not start that.
Speaker 3:
No, but that sounds intriguing.
Speaker 2:
Oh, it's fantastic, it's on Hulu, but anyway.
Speaker 1:
So in the in the latest season, martin Schwartz character is putting on a musical. Steve Martin, his character, has to do this, this song in the in the musical, and what's happening is, when they're rehearsing, apparently there there's something what's referred to as the white room, so so, so what a stage actor goes into the room A stage actor goes into is the white room. So if they can't remember their lines instead of, instead of in a movie or a TV show, when you can do another take, you know, in a live production, there there's no, there's no second take. You know you're, you're just live. So they talk about going into this white room. So he, he starts, he starts singing this song and you start to see him zoning out. That's to him like in, like in all white, in this white room, just dancing around, and it cuts back to him and in in, like this, this bizarre scene, and he has no clue what he has just said. But apparently whatever he has just said instead of the lyrics of the song that he couldn't remember are so disturbing. Like all the other people in the room, I just, I just remember. The one guy goes I need to go call my therapist and steps out of the room and like I just, I just feel like, I feel like we just like scarred Joe and and and potentially his mother, for during that one, that one shot, that holiday campaign cause, that was just yeah something.
Speaker 3:
I'm going to take this moment to give a little bit of a PSA here. Um, be aware of the group that you're playing with. Uh, you know this is all fun and games and it's all great. Don't say things that may offend the people that you're playing with, because you know, when you start going down these, these things, some people can't take those jokes, some people can't take those concepts. So you got to be a little careful about that so that you don't disrupt the party and in the game in of itself. Now, I didn't have any problem with it, it was all good fun and yeah, I put the headphones on and didn't bother mom anymore. Just be careful when you're making these jokes and and and stuff like that. Make sure everybody in your party is going to be okay with it. And it's a. It's an extreme example, but uh, I was reading a story one time about a guy who's doing a homebrew and he didn't warn his players that one of the victims that they were helping had survived an assault. And when he described the assault he was very detailed because he was trying to give descriptions of the attacker and everything came around and one of the players kind of had like a moment where they're like uh, I got to go and it was. It was traumatic for them, I, I, I I hesitate to use the word, but it triggered something for them. And and these are these moments where you have to know your audience, when you're doing it as a DM, when you're doing it as a player. I mean, we've been so vulgar for the last four years that I don't think there's anything that would really cause any of us to not have an issue. But, uh, you know, if you're going into a new game, especially challenge accepted. What have I done? Um, uh, if, if you're going into a game that you, either with new people in it or you are a new person and your personality has these types of quirks, make sure that you're aware and you're either limiting yourself to, to until you get the temperature of the room or, you know, limit yourself so you don't cross any borders for anybody.
Speaker 2:
I, I or ask if there is any established boundaries.
Speaker 3:
That's a great, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:
Where? What is everybody's comfort level with this? Uh with that you know spell things out.
Speaker 3:
I'm making an official now no more uh repeated shots, uh nuts of a character or a creature. You know I'm no longer comfortable with that.
Speaker 1:
So no repeated shots, but single shots are okay, one shot at a beach.
Speaker 3:
What if I see two people hit it in the same row? That's it. You guys are dead, okay.
Speaker 2:
Rocks falling, you gotta be every other person. That's right. That's right.
Speaker 1:
Only one person per round, yep.
Speaker 3:
There you go.
Speaker 1:
Got it Right.
Speaker 2:
Oh wait, but so I can get them on my first attack, but not my second, that's right your second attack.
Speaker 3:
You have to target a different part of the body, correct.
Speaker 2:
This is very specific. I am, because it triggers me, but okay, but okay, all right, I respect your wishes.
Speaker 1:
You. I think you bring up a really good point about when, when someone is looking to join a party, to to understand what the dynamics of the party you're going to be, and I think it's good for both a a DM to to kind of establish some of those those ground rules Like and and as as a player, not not every, not every table, not every party, not every group is the same. So you may want to, if, if you've got concerns, you may want to make sure maybe maybe it's an LGBTQ friendly table, maybe there there's no discussion of politics or religion. You know, maybe if, if the DM is going to talk about a triggering topic, make sure.
Speaker 3:
Give a heads up. Give a heads up how to do it Exactly. You're absolutely right.
Speaker 1:
So I think I think laying not necessarily laying the ground rules all at the beginning, but but I think, understanding what you're getting yourself into to be like, hey, this is either this is what I'm looking for or or this is what I am, what I don't want to get involved with, so so I think, as as you're establishing, getting into a group of people, kind of establishing some of those, those, uh, those ground rules is is really important.
Speaker 3:
And if you're new to the game, the first thing I would suggest is going to the DM asking them do you have a, a limit or is there something going on here? And then, if there isn't explaining to them here, this is where I'm at, and they will hopefully modify their themselves If there's anything that they're doing beyond it.
Speaker 1:
Excellent point, yeah, wonderful. Well, that's probably about our time.
Speaker 3:
I think so, and I think we covered everything. I mean, did you have anything you wanted to add? Real?
Speaker 1:
quick. Yes, kat, do you have any parting thoughts or ideas or anything that's on your mind?
Speaker 3:
Wisdom from the future mistress of the universe.
Speaker 1:
Um, I Get in line now.
Speaker 3:
I'm first, I'm first, I want to be first when she's become the future mistress, that's right.
Speaker 2:
I just think D&D's a great place to try out some different, different roles, characters, personalities, different ways to play Yep, and it's a lot of fun and can be tremendously great stress relief, so have fun. Have fun with it, that's the bottom line and you really. However, that looks for you.
Speaker 3:
Right, and you've really done that. Rhett, rhett, the bubbly 18-year-old looking to explore everything, and then oh, she was 11. Oh, she was 11. I'm sorry, yeah.
Speaker 2:
She was 11.
Speaker 3:
This is total and Maten's the. I'm just going to kill everything. I mean, you've really run the gambit of all the different types of it and that's why this is a great conversation to have with you, because you've hit them all.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes, I've gone from super lawful good to very much chaotic evil yes.
Speaker 1:
I'd like to see some more chaos and more evil from Maten's personally Ah Coming up. I would actually like that very much.
Speaker 2:
Be careful what you wish for.
Speaker 1:
I'm completely serious. Because I am Because, remember, thoridon is over 250. He won't give his exact age, he's over 250 years old. So he's seen some stuff and I think I'm just getting too old for this shit. It's going to be his line throughout the campaign, but I'm looking forward to seeing some chaos and some evil.
Speaker 3:
So you want to see more of her just executing people randomly as everybody is discussing?
Speaker 2:
You're lucky I mean the party's lucky. He's lazy, or else there would be a lot more trouble. I don't even know what our paladin would do with himself if he were to pretend to work so lazy.
Speaker 3:
Can you imagine, bill, you're going to see Toma trying to restrain Maten's, as Maten's is about to go off on a killing spree on a bunch of civilians?
Speaker 1:
I only wish that Maten's penchant for cutting off heads was maybe a different body part, so we could still question them. No, I didn't say what body part. Geez Joe, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm thinking legs and arms, hands, feet, so we could question them and you could still get what you wanted. And then we could still get what we wanted out of questioning the NPC.
Speaker 3:
But Hugh.
Speaker 1:
Greg only wants heads. I understand and that's what I'm saying. I wish it had been some other appendage, but if it has to be the head, it has to be the head.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, a severed leg is so much less threatening.
Speaker 1:
Agreed, but they're much more likely to talk with while missing a leg than they're not going to talk at all if they're missing a head.
Speaker 2:
I mean not necessarily you hang those heads up at night. I mean power of Hugh Greg.
Speaker 1:
What would be amazing would be your character also as a necromancer to to make the heads talk after afterward. So actually that would be. That would be super cool, I think.
Speaker 3:
I think you have the ability to pray to Huberk and have one of the heads talk. Now that would be funny. You killed this guy. You bring up his head later on and ask Huberk to make his head talk. And then his head talks and you find out he really was worthless After all that argument. He's and the Huberk says See, told you worthless.
Speaker 2:
Correct and and bugbearers. You will, I believe, typically like you, put the head Around the campsite as an alarm.
Speaker 3:
I forgot about that part. Yeah, when they have like a permanent settlement to go around and kill these things and then they stick them around and then the magic of Huberk will allow them to act as like they scream out. I think it was.
Speaker 1:
That's amazing. I love that idea. I'm all for that.
Speaker 3:
I think we now know what his next character is going to be.
Speaker 2:
Who crack is good.
Speaker 1:
Yes, Well, because it reminds me of. It reminds me of honor among thieves. When he's got the thing where he can touch the dead person, ask him five questions and, and then, and then they die permanently. That was only four, exactly.
Speaker 2:
Somebody asked me a question. Oh well, there's more in store in this campaign, andrew.
Speaker 1:
I'm I'm looking forward to it very, very much.
Speaker 2:
I'm so glad, yes, I'm so glad, yes.
Speaker 3:
I really want to see what happens with the Toma when the future of Hugh Rick comes out now, not Hugh Rick, sorry the future of a Mutenz comes out. Yes, I really want to see how he's going to react to this.
Speaker 1:
We shall say Should be fun.
Speaker 2:
Plots and schemes. Plots and schemes.
Speaker 1:
That's right.
Speaker 3:
Well, I think that covers just about everything, I think it does.
Speaker 1:
Thank you so much, kat for for joining us for this fantastic episode of legends, loot and war. It's been. It's been a great conversation talking about characters, character creation and and and warping, and we threw in just a little Not I don't think enough, but we threw in a little bit of Star Trek. So we talked, we mentioned Star Trek in there. So next time we'll have to talk more about that, but but again, thank you so much for for your time. This has been a great conversation. Thank you, thanks.
Speaker 3:
Kat.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely Always great talking with you guys.
Speaker 3:
You too.
Seamstress and crafter, cosplayer, LARPer, table top gamer, multi-fandom obsessed nerd, math teacher and mom.
