Author Archives: Shane

Shane Plays Dave Table Topping

Table Topping! – Radio Show / Podcast Episode 19

shane plays podcast title 10-3-2015Podcast for the Shane Plays radio show from 10/3/2015:
Table Topping!

Highlights: Twitch personality / Dungeon Master Dave of Table Topping talks D&D and other tabletop RPGs, plus running RPGs on Twitch!

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1:05 PM Central on 96.5 FM The Answer in Little Rock (For all of October and through November 14th, Shane Plays Radio will air live on sister station 99.5 FM at the regular time of 1:05 PM on Saturdays, then air again pre-recorded on Sundays on 96.5 FM at 1:05 PM). It can also be heard online at http://965fmtheanswer.com (http://faithtalk995.com through November 14th) and on the Tune In Radio and iHeart Radio apps.

Like 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/

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes and Stitcher (and other fine podcast directories) after the live show.

Podcast Episode Direct Download:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/Shane_Plays_10-3-15_podcast.mp3

Listen Now:

SHOW NOTES

For all of October and first two weeks of November 2015, Shane Plays Radio will air live on sister station 99.5 FM at the regular time of 1:05 PM Central on Saturdays, then air again pre-recorded on Sundays on 96.5 FM at 1:05 PM. You can also listen live online at http://faithtalk995.com.

NEWS ITEMS

D&D Extra Life: Raising money Children’s Miracle Network hospitals
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/wotc_dnd
Extra Life Team Page: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=21011

Star Trek Continues Episode 5 is out: “Divided We Stand” 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KChYhXhj7vY

A new Doctor Who spinoff is coming in 2016 http://www.polygon.com/2015/10/1/9436815/doctor-who-spinoff

Kingkiller Chronicles from Patrick Rothfuss to be movie & TV show & video game? http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2015/10/hollywood-news/ 

Arkham Knight for PC to re-launch at the end of October
https://www.pixeldynamo.com/news/gaming/2015/10/03/82352/arkham-knight-pc-re-launch-end-october/

Shane watched the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie on Netflix… so you don’t have to!
http://www.netflix.com/watch/60020969?trackId=14170286&tctx=1%252C0%252C07ad0fef-7eb5-4575-8ee8-7aa0ab35d564-3749263

Shane Plays Dave Table Topping

GUEST: TABLE TOPPING

Twitch & YouTube personality / Dungeon Master Dave of Table Topping!

Dave’s Extra Life Donation Page: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=158854

Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/table_topping

Twitter: https://twitter.com/table_topping

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dave32780

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TableTopping

NEXT WEEK

Michele Specht, Chuck Huber and Kim Stinger of Star Trek Continues!

Star Trek Continues

shane-plays-serpent-in-the-staglands

Let’s Play Serpent in the Staglands #17

This episode: A linguist turns us down, we get ambushed, a witch gives us a cookie, the return of an old friend and the finer points of fighting harvesters.

Join Shane as he plays through a hardcore computer RPG that has the mechanics and style of a 90s CRPG, and that’s just dripping with beautiful atmosphere!

Thanks for watching!

About Serpent in the Staglands:

A true role-playing adventure.

A campaign within the world of Vol, a fully realized setting inspired by the late bronze age in a Transylvanian landscape, with unique politics, races and gods steeped in history. Featuring a chosen party of five, you role-play Necholai, a minor god of a celestial body who descends to the Staglands for a moonlit festival only to find the way home blocked and immortality slipping away. Seeking answers and aid, you take on a mortal body and the guise of a traveling Spicer. This isn’t a story of good and evil, saving the world or being a hero, it’s about intrigue and your adventure of survival in a harsh land.

Buy on GOG:
https://www.gog.com/game/serpent_in_the_staglands?pp=6a3236f5f213960de5c415fd15c6d1cb5a46d04e

Buy on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/335120/

Board Games & Audiobooks! – Radio Show / Podcast Episode 18

Shane Plays radio show podcast title 9/26/2015 Board Games & Audiobooks!Podcast for the Shane Plays radio show from 9/26/2015:
Board Games & Audiobooks!

Highlights: Kevin Clay joins us for the “Top 5 Games For Families That You May Not Know About” and the behind the scenes of creating audiobooks. Kevin’s rowdy in a good way, don’t miss it!

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.

Like 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/

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes and Stitcher (and other fine podcast directories after the live show).

Podcast Episode Direct Download
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/SHANE_PLAYS_9-26-15_podcast.mp3

Listen Now:

SHOW NOTES

Temporary Station Change! For all of October and first two weeks of November, Shane Plays Radio will air live on sister station 99.5 FM at the regular time of 1:05 PM on Saturdays, then air again pre-recorded on Sundays on 96.5 FM at 1:05 PM.

NEWS ITEMS

Star Trek Enterprise-D Virtual Tour in Unreal engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK9ijZeHWjI

Bill Finger, Batman co-creator, gets credit at last
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/09/21/foxs-gotham-kicks-off-historic-season-because-batman-co-creator-gets-credit-at-last/

Gotham Season 2 premiered last Monday, September 21st

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD returns this Tuesday, September 29th

Flash Season 2 premieres October 6th

Vixen animated shorts on CW Seed
http://www.cwseed.com/shows/vixen/

Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix November 6th

GUEST: KEVIN CLAY

The “Top 5 Games For Families That You May Not Know About”.

Behind the scenes of creating audiobooks.

Kevin is a massive board game geek, a narrator for Audible, and an all around fun and creative guy.

Twitter: @thekevinclay

Website: http://www.kevinclaycreative.com/

A sample of Audible audiobooks Kevin has narrated:

After: The Shock, Book 1
http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/After-Audiobook/B00XRKWY8G

Operation Enduring Unity, Omnibus Edition
http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Operation-Enduring-Unity-Omnibus-Edition-Audiobook/B013FA5VCS

The Chosen: Rise of Cithria Book 1
http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Chosen-Audiobook/B0128KMAMK

NEXT WEEK

Table Topping logo

Twitch & YouTube personality / Dungeon Master Dave of Table Topping!

Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/table_topping

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dave32780

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TableTopping

Twitter: https://twitter.com/table_topping

 

shane-plays-serpent-in-the-staglands

Let’s Play Serpent in the Staglands #16

This episode: We explore Emerald Metalis, meet a rude witch, and get involved in dispute negotiations between the city and some hostile natives. Along the way we learn more about the deities of Vol (including the goddess of portals… hmmmm).

Join Shane as he plays through a hardcore computer RPG that has the mechanics and style of a 90s CRPG, and that’s just dripping with beautiful atmosphere!

Thanks for watching!

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/HjnZqlSq5fc” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

About Serpent in the Staglands:

A true role-playing adventure.

A campaign within the world of Vol, a fully realized setting inspired by the late bronze age in a Transylvanian landscape, with unique politics, races and gods steeped in history. Featuring a chosen party of five, you role-play Necholai, a minor god of a celestial body who descends to the Staglands for a moonlit festival only to find the way home blocked and immortality slipping away. Seeking answers and aid, you take on a mortal body and the guise of a traveling Spicer. This isn’t a story of good and evil, saving the world or being a hero, it’s about intrigue and your adventure of survival in a harsh land.

Buy on GOG:
<a href=”https://www.gog.com/game/serpent_in_the_staglands?pp=6a3236f5f213960de5c415fd15c6d1cb5a46d04e”>https://www.gog.com/game/serpent_in_the_staglands?pp=6a3236f5f213960de5c415fd15c6d1cb5a46d04e</a>

Buy on Steam:
<a href=”http://store.steampowered.com/app/335120/”>http://store.steampowered.com/app/335120/</a>

Shanna Germain & Chris Avellone talk Numenera on Shane Plays

Numenera! – Radio Show / Podcast Episode 17

Shane Plays Radio Podcast 9/19/2015 - Numenera!Podcast for the Shane Plays radio show from 9/19/2015:
Numenera!

Highlights: Numenera RPG with Shanna Germain of Monte Cook Games and game designer Chris Avellone.

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1 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.

Like 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/

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes and Stitcher (and other fine podcast directories after the live show).

Podcast Episode Direct Download
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/SHANE_PLAYS_9-19-15_podcast.mp3

Listen Now:

SHOW NOTES

NEWS ITEMS

The attack eyebrows are back! Doctor Who Series 9 begins today, September 19th!

Star Fox Zero Delayed Until Spring 2016
Shigeru Miyamoto issues apology via Facebook.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-fox-zero-delayed-until-spring-2016/1100-6430684/

Sword Coast Legends Head Start weekend!
Shane will be streaming off and on all weekend on Twitch at:
http://www.twitch.tv/shane_plays

D&D Out of the Abyss review up on the Shane Plays blog and YouTube. Happy Underdarking!
Blog: https://shaneplays.com/dds-out-of-the-abyss-rage-of-demons-first-look-review/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/MWiuyd9gLXQ

INTERVIEW: NUMENERA

Shanna Germain & Chris Avellone talk Numenera on Shane Plays

Shanna Germain of Monte Cook Games and Chris Avellone join us for a full show about Numenera, the award-winning far future science fiction role playing game featuring the Cypher System.

Monte Cook Games:
http://www.montecookgames.com/

Numenera:
http://www.numenera.com/

How to Play Numenera (video from Monte Cook Games)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E26Id3jBB7Q

Torment: Tides of Numenera:
https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/

Shanna Germain on Twitter:
@ShannaGermain

Chris Avellone on Twitter:
@ChrisAvellone

NEXT WEEK

Kevin Clay joins us to talk board games and recording audiobooks!

D&D Out of the Abyss cover

D&D’s Out of the Abyss (Rage of Demons) First Look & Review

Demogorgon rampaging

I’m a demo. I’m a gorgon. I’m a Demogorgon, baby!

Out of the Abyss is the tabletop RPG portion of the new Rage of Demons Dungeons & Dragons storyline from Wizards of the Coast, in collaboration with Green Ronin Publishing. Officially releasing tomorrow, September 15th, I’ve had my copy for a few days thanks to my local game store getting a few early (thanks to a program WotC has with certain game stores).

You’ll find a photo gallery at the end of the post, and an optional YouTube version of this review is embedded below. Enjoy!

It should be noted that I haven’t actually played through any of the campaign, either as a DM or a player, so I can’t speak to how it feels to roll the dice and role play with it. However I’ve spent some time getting a feel for the book itself so these notes are based on that. I’m also trying to give an idea of what’s included without major spoilers, so feel free to read on as a player.

Out of the Abyss clocks in at:

  • 254 pages
  • 17 chapters
  • 4 appendices
  • 1 afterword

Amongst all that goodness, in addition to the campaign setting you’ll get:

  • New background options
  • New magic items
  • New creatures
  • Stats for the demon lords

As with other products in the D&D 5th Edition line, this hardback has great production values, design and artwork. 5th Edition is really establishing itself for that alone.

So what’s all about? Out of the Abyss is Cloverfield meets the Underdark meets Alice in Wonderland as a drow archmage unleashes a terror on the Underdark and madness permeates the already dangerous and mysterious realm.

Alice in Wonderland, you say? Why yes, I answer. Chris Perkins himself specifically mentions it in his foreword to the book as an influence. But not to worry, my perusal does not reveal silliness or whimsy… this is serious business. Cloverfield, you say? Why yes, I answer. Because, you know, big old huge nasty beastie rampaging through cities in the Underdark and leaving ruins and madness in its wake. Which I find extremely cool.

What about a certain dual wielding dark elf named Drizzt? Can you have an Underdark campaign without him. No spoilers here, but I will say he is confirmed for the Rage of Demons storyline (the multi platform story line that Out of the Abyss is part of), however IF (see, I said IF) he appears in Out of the Abyss the story and adventure are the characters’, not an NPC’s. The characters are not sidekicks to a larger story.

Speaking of the player characters, they begin the campaign as lowly 1st level prisoners of the drow in attempting to escape work their way towards a climactic encounter with the very demon lords themselves, along the way encountering many exciting locations, events and encounters… both set and random!

This isn’t the Underdark you think you know, however. Already a bit deranged, with the terror unleashed new madness is in evidence, so much so that a game mechanic very similar to the sanity check from the Call of Cthulhu RPG is in effect. Madness can build on your characters and manifest in very unpleasant ways.

Some old favorite races and new ones make appearances, including drow, duergar, kuo-toa, illithids, gnolls, orcs, derro, and beholders.

The Underdark is HUGE. The included full page map has fairly small hexes that each represent 24 miles and travel is at a reduced pace compared to overland travel. Locations include Menzoberranzan, Gauntlgrym, Gravenhollow, Blingdenstone, the Darklake and many more.

Statistics, encounters, game balance and math aside… since the Underdark itself is so atmospheric much of whether DMs and players like Out of the Abyss or not will depend on the atmosphere itself, more so than most other products.

Do section headings like “Fungi of the Underdark”, “The Pudding King”, “The Fetid Wedding” and “The Wormwrithings” appeal do you?

Do you like the idea of madness building up on your characters? Do unhinged encounters appeal to you, as well as not seeing sunlight for 15 levels?

Do you want to run into a spore servant, perhaps a drow, whose head has burst with spores poking up through its head like an awful crown?

Do you, in fact, want demon lords with challenge ratings that would make an adult red dragon run and hide in your game?

The Underdark and its locations and denizens are fascinating, but going this deep (pun only slightly intended) may not be for everyone.

That being said, Out of the Abyss is very well done. It has great descriptions of the motivations of the races and cultures of the Underdark, and monsters and locations exist within a defined, interconnected ecosystem with more than just a token attempt to explain how the ecosystem works. Just perusing through the book I felt both the wonder and the dread and claustrophobia of this underground world.

Price value? My inner grognard balks at the $50 price tag, yet it should be noted that seems to be a normal price price for RPG rulebooks these days. Also, as with other recent D&D books you can buy it from sources such as Amazon for much cheaper. I paid the full price to get an early copy, but that was my choice of course. So what am I saying? I guess I’m saying $50 seems steep to me for *any* rulebook but there’s legit ways to get them cheaper and, again, part of me is still stuck in the 80s and 90s.

Marketed as an adventuring campaign for characters 1st-15th level (that’s a lot of campaign!) this book is rich enough to be used as a one-off adventure, a series of adventures, a campaign, and an entire setting. I can see it being very useful as a reference if you wanted to ignore the campaign itself. If you’re a fan of the Underdark, you definitely need to pick it up.

I find myself in the position of having enjoyed studying Out of the Abyss, but wishing I had not so that I could play it fresh as a player for all the cool stuff that’s going to happen.

Thanks for reading and make sure to check out the photo gallery below! Happy Underdarking!

Gene Turnbow of Krypton Radio on Shane Plays Radio banner

Radio Show / Podcast Episode 16: Who’s On Krypton!

shane plays podcast title 9-12-2015Podcast for the Shane Plays radio show from 9/12/2015:
Who’s On Krypton!

Highlights: Doctor Who discussion; Interview with Gene Turnbow and DJ Willow Leafstorm of Krypton Radio.

Shane Plays airs on Saturdays at 1 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.

Like 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/

Listen to the Shane Plays podcast on iTunes and Stitcher (and other fine podcast directories after the live show).

Podcast Episode Direct Download
http://traffic.libsyn.com/shaneplays/SHANE_PLAYS_9-12-15.mp3

Listen Now:

SHOW NOTES

NEWS ITEMS

Star Trek: The Original Series 49th Anniversary – September 8, 1966
Star Trek: The Animated Series 42nd Anniversary – September 8, 1973

Sword Coast Legends: Belaphoss Statue and 9/10 Twitch Stream Notes
https://shaneplays.com/sword-coast-legends-belaphoss-statue-and-910-twitch-stream/

Video: Star Wars BB-8 astromech droid remote control toy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vojqy5hVkKs

DR. WHO

The attack eyebrows are back! Doctor Who Series 9 Begins September 19th!

Doctor Who Season 9 Prologue
http://kryptonradio.com/2015/09/11/1st-look-doctor-who-season-9-prologue/

The Doctor and River Song to reunite for Doctor Who Christmas special
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-09-02/the-doctor-and-river-song-to-reunite-for-doctor-who-christmas-special

INTERVIEW: KRYPTON RADIO

Gene Turnbow of Krypton Radio on Shane Plays Radio banner
Gene Turnbow, founder and program director and DJ Willow Leafstorm of Krypton Radio. Krypton Radio is 24/7 online science fiction radio that’s Scifi for your Wifi!

Krypton Radio:
http://kryptonradio.com/

Krypton Radio on Twitter:
@kryptonradio

Gene Turnbow’s Kryptonians.net:
http://kryptonians.net/

DJ Willow Leafstorm on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Willow-Leafstorm-374491819243934/timeline/

DJ Willow Leafstorm on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/willowleafstorm

NEXT WEEK

Numenera Core Rulebook Cover

Shanna Germain of Monte Cook Games and Chris Avellone join us for a full show about Numenera, the award-winning far future science fiction role playing game featuring the Cypher System.

Monte Cook Games:
http://www.montecookgames.com/

Numenera:
http://www.numenera.com/

Torment: Tides of Numenera:
https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/

Shanna Germain on Twitter:
@ShannaGermain

Chris Avellone on Twitter:
@ChrisAvellone

BB-8 Star Wars astromech toy

Video: Star Wars BB-8 Astromech Droid Remote Control Toy

I happened to run into a cute little remote control BB-8 in the wild, and caught some video of it before it loped off into the trees.

It rolls around, makes little boopy noises and almost but not quite words (like “uh oh”), has preprogrammed gestures and movement patterns plus augmented reality features.

The head is independent of the spherical body via magnets.

Fun! (and cute)