Gold, Frankincense and Murder Rap-up

So it has been exactly a month sence we posted the latest Episode of Gold, Frankincense and Murder. Sadly the summer is coming to a close and it is time to bury the hatchet on the Red Box adventure.

Overall, I liked the Twisting Halls adventure. It had everything you need for a good game from Dragons, magical puzzles, treasure, and a little bit of mystery. I would recommend the Red Box as the perfect starting game for someone who is new to the game, but experienced players might think that this adventure is generic because that is what it is. It is a generic dungeon crawl, perfected for rookies but a little bland for a pro.

I will miss the Red Box but I'm excited for our next adventure.

Gold, Frankincense and Murder Episode 4

Part 2 of Session 2

Will the chamber of frozen door hold hidden treasures or a terrible beast waiting to strike?!

Find out in this week’s episode of Gold Frankincense and Murder!

Gold, Frankincense and Murder Episode 3

Part 1 of Session 2

Enjoy, as our favorite adventures journey deeper into the Twisting Halls of the Goblin’s Lair.

Gold, Frankincense and Murder Episode 2

Here is the second half of my home game’s first session (download here). Sadly about 30 minutes of gameplay between Parts 1 and 2 were lost during post production due to failed knowledge rolls made by one of this blog’s contributors (*cough* HumorousEndeavors!!! *cough*).

Here is what happened…
In the last podcast, the party found the goblin lair and was about to enter the dungeon. Nymphadora stealthily cracked open the door to the dungeon but she was spotted by a surprised goblin who was stand directly on the other side if the door. The players rushed into the room like Tusken Raiders, while shooting and stabbing at the goblin. Another goblin at the other end of the room was tending to the black rider’s horse, which was tied to a pool of water on the floor of the dungeon. The second goblin dashed for the door of a small chamber and released a foul guard drake which lunged into the combat and attacked Javeck. Then a goblin hex hurler decided to show its ugly face. This episode starts in the middle of that combat. The first goblin lies torn to pieces on the floor, the drake is in the middle of the party gnashing his teeth, and the goblin hex hurler just placed a dangerous and powerful hex on Nymphadora which causes her to hesitate for a second.

Player Credits:
Scott Farspell (human wizard)– Devan Blair
Rikkus Raincloud (mule warpriest) – Ryan Harral
Nymphadora (elf rogue) – Sarah Jones
Javeck Gloomhollow (half-elf bard) - Joshua Kaplowitz

Special thanks to:

Zack, Ben, Rail, Joe, Dana, and Ryle

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant. Play hard or play safe but at all costs never stop playing.

Gold, Frankincense and Murder Episode 1

The Redbox is a great starter of
Essentials goodness

Here is the recording of the First Session (Part 1) of my new Home Game. In this campaign I made a difficult decision to run my players through the core 4E DnD adventures produced my Wizards of the Coast. I am one of those DMs who like to work with abstract hooks instead of pre-written adventures, so going into this game I knew it would be a bit of a challenge for me. I’m not use to following a script but so far so good.

We are starting this adventure in the Red Box by WOTC which has been fun to both play and prepare for. The Nentir Vale provides an excellent backdrop for players of all experience levels and the Twisting Halls adventure is rich with interesting hooks, complex monsters, and exciting combat scenarios. Once we finish this adventure I’ll be sure to post a complete review of the Red Box and my experience playing it.

The Nentir Vale: Setting of the core settings of D&D 4E
and also a great place to vacation!

Player Credits:

Scott Farspell (human wizard)– Devan Blair
Rikkus Raincloud (mul warpriest) – Ryan Harral
Nymphadora (elf rogue) – Sarah Jones
Javeck Gloomhollow (half-elf bard) - Joshua Kaplowitz






Special thanks to:

Zack, Ben, Rail, Joe, Dana, and Ryle

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant. Play hard or play safe but at all costs never stop playing.

Home Game Announcement

Hello Internets! I just wanted to give ya'll an update about my Home Game which will start up this coming summer. Basically I've been looking around for some fun adventures to take my new party on, and I've decided to start with the Red Box starter adventure "The Twisted Halls" produced by Wizards of the Coast and here's why...

I've personally have never been a big fan of the adventures Wizards has published. Some of them just aren't that memorable or interesting enough to hold my attention for too long (Eberron being the exception). But with all the new Essential material flooding the scene, I think that I owe Wizards another chance.

Also I have a well blended party of new players, veteran players, and casual players, which makes me a little nervous. How do I please my experienced players and provide enough guidance to my nubs? Normally I would spend a few sleepless nights concocting a complex adventure of my own creation but this time I'm going to take a back seat and see what Essentials has to offer.

Now what does this mean for you? Well, I'm going to make regular posts about the games and the players' experiences, and what it was like DMing. Also, Scott Farspell and I are going to start an actual play podcast so that people can follow along with all the action. So if you are thinking of starting an Essentials campaign, keep checking in for more updates to hear how our game is going.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant. Play hard or play safe but at all costs never stop playing.