Author Archives: Shane

shane plays podcast title 10-7-2017

Frank Mentzer & Empyrea! – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 119

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shane plays podcast title 10-7-2017Podcast version of the Shane Plays Geek Talk radio show from 10/7/2017:
Frank Mentzer & Empyrea!

Highlights: Frank Mentzer (of “Red Box” fame) shares D&D history and discusses Empyrea, his multi-system fantasy RPG setting.

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1:05 PM Central on 96.5 FM The Answer in Little Rock. It can also be heard online at http://965fmtheanswer.com and on the Tune In Radio app and iHeart Radio apps. Call in at 501-823-0965 or tweet @ShanePlays during the show!

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, SoundCloud & Stitcher (plus other fine podcast directories) after the live show.

Direct MP3 Download:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/shane_plays_10-7-2017_podcast.mp3

Listen Here via Embed:

SHOW NOTES

NEWS ITEMS

No news items this episode.

GUEST: FRANK MENTZER

frank mentzer

Worlds of Empyrea RPG fantasy setting Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/extsr/frank-mentzers-empyrea-fantasy-setting-for-10-rpg

From Frank’s Kickstarter profile:
Frank was at TSR and New Infinities in the 1980s, working closely with founder Gary Gygax as his Aide, co-author, and friend. Frank is best known for the D&D “Red Box” line of 5 boxed sets (1983-89) and their Rules Compendium, plus Temple of Elemental Evil, Book of Marvelous Magic, and the Cyborg Commando RPG (all with Gary), 2001: A Space Odyssey, and dozens of other products.

In 2012 Frank created Eldritch Enterprises with Jim Ward, Tim Kask, and Chris Clark. Medical and financial issues kept Eldritch small, and it is now sleeping, awaiting a new era. Its members continue to write and publish games independently.

Loxley inc was created in 2016 to package all of Frank’s creative ideas. As a Design House, Loxley plans to produce product for manufacturers to print and distribute to the gaming industry.

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Support Shane Plays Radio on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays

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Krypton Radio is SciFi for your Wifi.
http://kryptonradio.com/

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes Title

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes #56

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Mantol-Derith continues with plenty of svirfneblin, drow and zhentarim, oh my! An insane assassin, a rather ugly beholder, and a lovestruck gargoyle. That gem’s not worth the price. Players taking unexpected courses of action. More thoughts on splitting the party. Shane loves Waffle House.

This is an ongoing series of Shane’s notes, thoughts and tips for running the D&D adventure Out of the Abyss, which is the tabletop portion of the Rage of Demons story line.

Each video follows the most recent session with his group.

shane plays podcast title 9-30-2017

The Apple II & Gaming History with David L. Craddock – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 118

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shane plays podcast title 9-30-2017Podcast version of the Shane Plays Geek Talk radio show from 9/30/2017:
The Apple II and Gaming History with David L. Craddock!

Highlights: Computer and gaming history with David L. Craddock, author of Break Out: How the Apple II Launched the PC Gaming Revolution.

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1:05 PM Central on 96.5 FM The Answer in Little Rock. It can also be heard online at http://965fmtheanswer.com and on the Tune In Radio app and iHeart Radio apps. Call in at 501-823-0965 or tweet @ShanePlays during the show!

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, SoundCloud & Stitcher (plus other fine podcast directories) after the live show.

Direct MP3 Download:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/Shane_Plays_9-30-17_podcast.mp3

Listen Here via Embed:

SHOW NOTES

NEWS ITEMS

Divinity: Original Sin 2 roars out of the gates to nearly 500K sold | Eurogamer.net
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-18-divinity-original-sin-2-roars-out-of-the-gates-to-nearly-500k-sold

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds just set an all-time player count record on Steam | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/17/16322430/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-all-time-player-count-record-steam

GUEST: DAVID L. CRADDOCK

David’s website:
http://davidlcraddock.com/

Break Out: How the Apple II Launched the PC Gaming Revolution on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Break-Out-Launched-Gaming-Revolution/dp/0764353225

Around the world, millions of people hijack cars in Grand Theft Auto, role play fantastical heroes in World of WarCraft, and crush candy on phones as small as wallets yet nearly as powerful as desktop computers. Long before video games became a multi-billion-dollar industry, a small group of hackers created the Apple II, a PC that contained less memory than the average size of a Microsoft Word document and turned heads by outputting graphics in color. Some users tapped its resources to design productivity software. Others devised some of the most influential games of all time. From the perils along the Oregon Trail and the exploits of Carmen Sandiego to the shadowy dungeons of Wizardry and Prince of Persia s trap-filled labyrinth, Break Out recounts the making of some of the Apple II s most iconic games, illustrates how they informed the games we play today, and tells the stories of the pioneers who made them.

 

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Support Shane Plays Radio on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays

KryptonRadio1Shane Plays is carried on Krypton Radio!
Krypton Radio is SciFi for your Wifi.
http://kryptonradio.com/

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D&D Rules Crawl #1

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Shane’s D&D Rules Crawl, where we brave the dread labyrinth of D&D rules discussions and clarifications for fortune, fame and glory!

This episode:

Does a natural 20 or natural 1 apply to an ability check?

What qualifies as an attack in D&D?

Does counterspell work against wands?

Can you counterspell counterspell?

Recommended resource:
Zoltar Sage Advice
http://sageadvice.eu
@SageAdviceDnd

Sword Coast Legends

Let’s Play Sword Coast Legends Story Mode #47

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Rhylfang’s Lair starts with lots of spiders (shocker, that) plus plenty of drow and dreadful ritual victims. Hommet gets new threads. Shane gets annoyed that you can’t put drow to sleep.

This a let’s play of the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends.

Set in the lush and vibrant world of the Forgotten Realms, Sword Coast Legends offers an all-new way to enjoy the time-tested magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a shared storytelling experience. With a deep narrative developed by a team of long-time industry veterans and a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn home like never before.

https://swordcoast.com/

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Let’s Play Torment: Tides of Numenera #23

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The Valley of Dead Heroes continues as we vicariously live as a series of six-eyed cats, meet a man who truly argues with himself, collapse a portal to another world and hope no one notices (sorry, Saint Prosper), drop the stank down on some murderous cultists, and find some sweet loot in a pool of vile water.

Torment: Tides of Numenera is the thematic successor to Planescape: Torment, one of the most critically acclaimed role-playing games of all time. Immerse yourself in a single-player, isometric, story-driven RPG set in Monte Cook’s Numenera universe. What does one life matter? Find your answer.

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes Title

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes #55

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Embiggened duergar vs. emblurried svirfneblin in Mantol-Derith. Surprise, surprise the madness is here. A familiar name from Blingdenstone comes up. Daggers’s epilogue. What does the party makeup look like now compared to when Out of the Abyss began? Let’s split up, gang!

This is an ongoing series of Shane’s notes, thoughts and tips for running the D&D adventure Out of the Abyss, which is the tabletop portion of the Rage of Demons story line.

Each video follows the most recent session with his group.

shane plays podcast title 9-16-2017

D&D with Gorebad of How Reroll (plus DM tips) – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 117

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shane plays podcast title 9-16-2017Podcast for the Shane Plays radio show from 9/16/2017:
D&D with Gorebad of How Reroll (plus DM tips)!

Highlights: D&D with veteran DM Gorebad of How Reroll (plus DM tips); Tomb of Annihilation is out; geek news.

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1:05 PM Central on 96.5 FM The Answer in Little Rock. It can also be heard online at http://965fmtheanswer.com and on the Tune In Radio app and iHeart Radio apps. Call in at 501-823-0965 or tweet @ShanePlays during the show!

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, SoundCloud & Stitcher (plus other fine podcast directories) after the live show.

Direct MP3 Download:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/Shane_Plays_9-16-17_podcast.mp3

Listen Here via Embed:

SHOW NOTES

NEWS ITEMS

Wolverine and Swamp Thing Co-Creator Len Wein Has Died | Comicbook.com
http://comicbook.com/2017/09/10/wolverine-and-swamp-thing-co-creator-len-wein-has-died/

Show Sponsor Troll Lord Games Kickstarter: 7 Days in Bergholt (for Castles & Crusades)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/castles-and-crusades-7-days-in-bergholt

D&D Tomb of Annihilation Review
https://shaneplays.com/dd-tomb-of-annihilation-review/

GUEST: GOREBAD

 

Gorebad

Gorebad serves as the Dungeon Master on How Reroll. In 1979, Gorebad started playing D&D along with other pen and paper games. He owned his own gaming store in the UK for several years and was fortunate enough to attend some DM coaching sessions with TSR. In 1991, he became one of the RPGA sanctioned DM’s and ran tournaments for Gencon in Sussex, England for three years. Gore writes original material for his games and strays from the published adventures. Watch Gorebad livestream other games on his personal channel, (which he does mostly to raise money for St.Jude childrens research hospital) at twitch.tv/gorebad or follow him on Twitter @gorebad you can also check out his blog thedmblog.com.

How Reroll logo

patreon logo in fieldLike what you hear?
Support Shane Plays Radio on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays

KryptonRadio1Shane Plays is carried on Krypton Radio!
Krypton Radio is SciFi for your Wifi.
http://kryptonradio.com/

Sword Coast Legends

Let’s Play Sword Coast Legends Story Mode #46

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Wrapping up the Ettenmoors as we rescue villagers from sticky, icky spider webs, go ingredient shopping for Andra, then confront her sudden but inevitable betrayal in a pretty tough fight. Next up: Rhylfang’s Lair!

This a let’s play of the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends.

Set in the lush and vibrant world of the Forgotten Realms, Sword Coast Legends offers an all-new way to enjoy the time-tested magic of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a shared storytelling experience. With a deep narrative developed by a team of long-time industry veterans and a partnership with Wizards of the Coast, the single player campaign of Sword Coast Legends brings the world of Faerûn home like never before.

https://swordcoast.com/

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes Title

D&D Out of the Abyss Notes #54

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Leaving Gauntlgrym for Mantol-Derith with a metric stank ton of redshirts, er, NPCs. The finer points of leadership and expedition management. Passing helpful DM advice via an NPC. The Zhentarim assure the group that Mantol-Derith is an orderly place (yeah, right!). Shane kvetches a bit about the organization of info in OotA.

Helpful resource for expedition management:
Elven Tower: Out of the Abyss guide – Chapter 9 – Descent into the Depths
https://www.elventower.com/archives/385

This is an ongoing series of Shane’s notes, thoughts and tips for running the D&D adventure Out of the Abyss, which is the tabletop portion of the Rage of Demons story line.

Each video follows the most recent session with his group.