Initiative Role

Look. We know we did a bad thing, okay? This episode of Initiative Role was technically recorded right after the Thanksgiving season, when we thought we'd reliably be able to produce content while also finishing our finals for school. And admittedly, we were struck down for our hubris. Now, our podcast-less bodies tumble to the earth, ready to be received to the dust we came from. In this episode: The art of human decomposition; A guide to the undead; The Endless Graveyard Content Warning: We deep dive the science of death on this one. If you have a hard time with themes of death or get sick thinking about the breakdown of corpses, this is a good one to miss. Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. If you like bad jokes and rants about Businessweek's rhetoric, you can find Logan on Twitter at @loganhasatake. Find the .mp3 file here .

Howdy, y'all! It's me, space cowboy Logan, here to tell you all about the newest episode of Initiative Role, where we discuss how to do Dungeons and Dragons and outer space at the same time! I'm not really a space cowboy. I'm sorry to deceive the public like this. In this episode: Logan rips into Star Wars; Setpiece usage; Tangled Up in Bluth; Doctor Who?; Star Zack's Deep Space Diner and Burger Joint. Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. If you like bad jokes and rants about people who complain about Pokemon, you can find Logan on Twitter at @loganhasatake. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey folks! Due to an unforeseen file corruption, we took a minute to get this re-exported and uploaded, but here it is! Recorded away from our regular soundstage (sorry bout the audio quality) and out of sync with the rest of the season, this episode is a special reflection on our last year! Hope you enjoy it, but honestly, if it's unendurable, don't feel bad skipping this one. Thanks for your support! Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file  here .

Soundstage 2 is still without power, and it's also under threat of extinction. But we're talking about caves and the Underdark in this one, so if there's a time to record in the darkness, I guess this is probably it. In this episode: Audio crimes by Nathaniel Johnson; Cave Spiders; Moldy molds; Hang tight to the ceiling; Things that live beneath; "Just be an elf"; The Hunting Grounds. Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file  here .

This spooky spooky episode of Initiative Role is brought to you from the deep dark caverns of Soundstage 2. Yep. We recorded this one in the dark, which is why it took so long to edit. We needed to find an audio editor that supported dark mode. In this episode: Vampyr Origins; Some creepy werewolf noise; Playing a monster; Vampire Boy Band; We stan a legend Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file  here .

Welcome to the spooky swamps of Initiative Role season 3! In this brand new take of our classic formula, we— you know what, just listen to the episode. In this one: Swamps; Bugs; Spooky Hags; A Wild Snake; Some Trees; Moss; and a little bit of Monster of the Week. Follow us at  @initiative_role  on Twitter and  @initiative_role  on Instagram. Special thanks to Brian Altano and Weird Heat for the use of their tracks "Fear" and "Isolation", which we use during Monster of the Week at the end of the show. Find the .mp3 file  here .

Greetings, Traveler! I have been informed that, regrettably, there are no jokes on the episode tonight. Not even one solitary bit of wordplay with which my mean pen could grace the edges of this post. Alas, Nathaniel has said that indeed there are none, a fact he surely discovered as he edited the podcast. Those of you who come to the show exclusively for Logan's trademark wit will undoubtedly be sorely disappointed; yea, perhaps even ashamed by his performance in this, the greatest of podcasting tragedies. My sincerest apologies, refunds will be issued at the door. In this episode: We speak and muse about the planar sky, The earthly world and all our knowledge of The planes, both deep beneath and high above. But forsooth! It seems the japes have died. But sorrow not, nor let your hearts feel dread; You may create your own within your mind. This sonnet may your heart's deep wounds now bind: You're free to write your own goofs in your head. Follow us at @initi

Hey all! Special episode of Initiative Role for you this week. In this one, we sit down with Alaina, a dungeon master getting ready for her first campaign. The three of us plan together on how to make her campaign as great as possible! In this episode: Well, I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say there are pirates. Enjoy the episode, me hearties! Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey, all— On today's episode of Initiative Role, we discuss a lot of films, a few books, and Nathaniel learns who the protagonists of It are. It's one heck of a ride. In this episode: Hollywood Pitchcast; Cheating in duels; We actually master a dungeon; Alt dungeon design; Steven King and haunted hotels; Some spicy Monster of the Week. Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Special thanks to Brian Altano and Weird Heat for the use of their tracks "Fear" and "Isolation", which we use during Monster of the Week at the end of the show. Find the .mp3 file here .

This week on Initiative Role, it's all about timing. Ya know, making good use of time. We're great at that here. No tangents or rambling. Ever. You know us too well to accuse us of those unpleasant sorts of things, right? In this episode: Dora-watch 2019; Keeping time; Logan roasts Nathaniel's campaign; Setting plot hooks; Ode to a Bard; More Monster of the Week. Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Special thanks to Brian Altano and Weird Heat for the use of their tracks "Fear" and "Isolation", which we use during Monster of the Week at the end of the show. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey, all! Great news: it seems that our new place of recording— affectionately nicknamed Soundstage 2 — is permanently our to use as we wish to record this podcast. Bad news: It's giving us 'big Uni energy'. There's a tough edit somewhere in here due to a file corruption, hopefully you don't notice it. In this episode: 'Where do you think we're recording?'; Building a railroad at 80 mph; Fight the Ghost Hobo; Check your sources; Remember to turn in your quizzes! Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Special thanks to Brian Altano and Weird Heat for the use of their tracks "Fear" and "Isolation", which we use during Monster of the Week at the end of the show. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hello Interwebs! This week on Initiative Role, we record from a soundproof room on our University campus, resulting in some of our cleanest audio yet. In this episode: Intriguing Politics; FlutterDuke and WingBaron; When to end a session; Nathaniel decides independent clauses aren't worth finishing; Harry Potter, High School Dropout; and a special, yet hotly anticipated surprise. Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Special thanks to Brian Altano and Weird Heat for the use of their track "Fear", which we use near the end of the show. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey, all- This week on Initiative Role, we've queued up some of our best jokes, japes, and Shrek-adjacent content yet. And we've shelved it all to talk about haunted and spooky locales. In this episode: Location, Location, Location; We take a wrong turn past Albuquerque; The Sunken Temple of the Dragon; Black Morass; D'oh!; Yes, and there are children crying. Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey all- This week of Initiative Role is a fun one. We've got something of a live audience in the room with us, and there's a few rough bits where people are screaming in the background. And not cause the jokes are good, though they were. In this episode: Plot progression and living worlds; Recreating Dr. Kurt Connors; Harry Potter's Hill Travels; Jimmy Eat World: Greatest Hits; Nathaniel's Pokemon Pantheon. Follow us at @initiative_role on Twitter and @initiative_role on Instagram. Find the .mp3 file here .

This belated episode of Initiative Role comes to you after roughly 14 bad takes (yes, there's an outtake reel; no, you can't hear it) and one breakdown of Audacity. But hey, life isn't all rainbows and butterflies, right? And it certainly isn't all Bandits and Boromirs. In this episode: "What is a villain?"; Rewriting X-Men; Our first real writing section; It's okay, split the party; Season Shrek. Find the .mp3 file here .

Dear fans: we slaved long and hard (as we are contractually obligated to) to create this episode for you. There was a lot of punchy energy, a couple of takes, some bad air, and a half-listen of Carly Rae Jepsen's song Cut to the Feeling. A few cherry beverages were consumed as well. In this episode: Coming in hot, again; Of mice and magic; Nathaniel is an eligible bachelor; Logan dunks on his favorite novelist; Sir Fluffington. You can find the .mp3 file here .

Hello, Internet! Initiative Role is back after a long hiatus with our highly anticipated second season! Fans and critics alike begged and asked, and we delivered! In this season, there's more Shrek, and that's an Initiative Role Guarantee! In this episode: We're back, baby!; On the topic of NPCs; What's *really* happening behind that screen?; The Shrex Files; An homage of Ice and Fire; The Jack Horner Corner. You can find the .mp3 file here .

Hey, all- We're hoping to be back in the proverbial saddle with some regular episodes soon, but until then, here's Nathaniel and Gregg talking about a recent adventure we ran. Hope you enjoy it!

Hey all! This episode comes in hot after some positive feedback about episodes where we create characters. In this episode, we'll be working with some players to create characters for a new campaign we'll be playing later this summer. Meet Alton Pockettaker and Jim Hawkins! Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey all! This week we have a special episode where Nathaniel and a guest work together to homebrew a new arcane class for fifth edition! Enjoy! Find the .mp3 file here .

On this week's episode, we have a few surprises. First, you'll notice some new audio at the start of the episode. Don't panic, you're not listening to a cyberpunk cast. Second, we're diving into a new campaign. Enjoy! In this episode: Funky Beats Take 5 Starting a new campaign Enter, Lord Thraxio Using Handouts Our new theme Geres and the Halfling You can find the .mp3 file here .

In an event that shocks the nation, Initiative Role is releasing an episode 'on time', whatever that means. Our remote recording setup is finally live, and should be Wednesdays all the way down from here on out. In this episode: Always have food Logan explains Beauty Pageants Don’t invite Brian Two and a half dragon’s Aliens in puberty Smells like Teen Spirit Animal Daphne? You can find the .mp3 file here .

Hey all! This week on Initiative Role, we bring Nathaniel's wife Olivia on to discuss the problematic history, poor representation, and potential of women in D&D. There's some audio errors here due to Audacity losing some files. Sorry! In this episode: You'll meet the talented woman behind our Instagram account; You'll hear the short but troubled history of women in fantasy; We'll talk about how to make a good backstory; We spotlight one of our favorite women in our current campaign; And we announce our upcoming dungeon, which will be playable by all of our fans!

Hey all! Due to some editing hiccups, we're a little late with this one. Also, apologies on the audio quality; remote recording attempt one did not treat us kindly! Remote recording, How to Train Your Character, A Kingdom Hearts 3 Shoutout, Recapping a Party, 3.5 + 5e rule differences, Ectomancer Class

This week, it's finally time for the live play episode we've been building toward for a month. The Lady Elara D'thurrani, Sharn's most well-known assassin, has been murdered. Captain Dormel is old, tired, and jaded. Fortunately, our heroes (Wall, Traveler, Pete, and Ursito) are on the case. Cookies are also mentioned, and there's waaaay too many topical references to Alita: Battle Angel. Enjoy!

Hey, all! This week on Initiative Role, we're getting ready for our upcoming live play episode. Here, you'll meet two of our new characters, and learn a bit about them prior to the campaign. In this episode: Ursito and Pete

Hey, all! This week on Initiative Role, we're getting ready for our upcoming live play episode. Here, you'll meet two of our new characters, and learn a bit about them prior to the campaign. In this episode: Wall the Warforged; Traveller

We're coming to you live with the freshest content, only one day late after some keyboard malfunctions. This episode features our first live call-in! Well... Sort of. In this episode: Would you like fries with that; Do you want to build religion?; A 'Classy' Discussion; Our first live 'call-in'; Nerd shaming; A big announcement; A brief discussion about Scooby Cthulu; By the way, we're in the bard corner, 90% of Earthbound Fans... Find the .mp3 file here .

This week on Initiative Role, we have a special guest... Well, sort of. We've brought along a very old book written by a legend. Enjoy ! In this Episode: Superior Imagination and Intellect, Rules for Being a Player, Strength Over 9,000!, Half-Orc Racism, Wild Illustrations, Gratuitous Applause from our in-studio audience, Roku Avatar, Mother's Cannoli is Here, Fear 10, Charlie and the Beauty Factory. Check out the .mp3 file here !

Hey, all! We just wanted to let you all know that there was a great opportunity for a "Destiny's Child" reference in this one and we blew it. Don't fret, though, because this episode really drifts off the track. In this episode: Not Parting the Kimono; Wait for it... Kingdom Hearts; The Raven 2; You Raise Me Sozin's Comet; Jabba the Slave Girl; The Basement Tapes; Don't Mega Encounter; The List That Doesn't Exist; "He is Not a Man of God"; LOLA BUNNY; Real Doorbells of Las Vegas Find the .mp3 file here .

Hey, howdy, y'all! We're coming to you this episode straight from the living room of Logan's third floor apartment. We brought it to you right after the one we released yesterday in order to hopefully  get back on our weekly Tuesday release schedule. There's a little bit of audio difficulty in this one... We sorta... Well... You know what, you'd better just listen to the episode. In this episode: Paper-Free D&D, Not a Podcast Rainman, Quinn Ignores the Dice, An Ironic Moment, Spellbook Cloud, Pop Up Spellbook, Canine Body Bag, The Science of Ant Farming, Another N64 Deep Pull, Climbing a Cliff Bar, Propeller Sword, Nathaniel Still Gets the Blog Wrong, Flight and Fight, Don't Play D&D at Work!, Background Weed Joke, The One Reason to Not Watch Stranger Things, Monster Cards, 4/5 Are Brian, Jason and Britney

Hey, everyone! You're probably thinking to yourselves: "Where is that podcast that I love so much?" Well, we spent the last couple of days analyzing our patterns, and we decided to do an episode on pacing. Maybe our next one will be on how to release things on time. In this episode: The Buffug, How to Pace Your Podcast, Shave and a Haircut, The Sharn Scarns, Batman: Arkham Fancast, Chicken Nugget Record Holder, Birds Are In, Hello From the Other Side From The Other Side, A Shameless Plug, New Corner Same Bold Taste, Apple and Microsoft Tech Analysis?, Logan Forgets Mark Ruffalo, We Buy a House Zoo, "Chompy Mage!", "This is NOT that cast, but.."

If there's one thing we're known for at Initiative Role, it's for delivering content late. But this tardy episode is special, because it's officially hosted by a scholar.  That's right, internet. You'll probably want to buckle in your seatbelts for this one. In this episode: Our Academic Podcast, Gotta Catch 'em All!, Dinner Roll Dragons, Forgetting a Move, Donkey Fetish, Black Arrow Antics, Dragon Size Dilemmas, Tuesday Night with Dinklage, Blue Eyes White Declaration, Don't Name Your Dragon After the God of War, The Best of Both Multiverses, Noah's Arcane

Greetings, all! We're coming to you live from our holiday bunker, where we've spent the last two weeks in our respective corners, hiding, indulging in gluttony, and playing Pokémon. Enjoy the episode!

After a lengthy debacle regarding feed updates, Initiative Role is back and ready to spice up the tail end of your HallowThanksMas with our antics. This week we review: Tales from the Yawning Portal, the Island, Disney (again), Magic Solomon, Claudette, and Santa Claus. Also there is the promise of Christmas presents so keep your eyes open. You can access the Homebrewery page for the Island here . Check out the .mp3 file here .

This week's aesthetic is all about homebrewing. But set aside your tales of prohibition-era moonshine- we're talking about brewing rules, not alcohol. In this episode: The Disney Experience Fan-Cast; RPG Land; D&D Prince's Fantasy Corvette; Washington Irving Cinematic Universe; Adventureland Recap; Expecto Patroneus; Video Game Gamers; How to Play the BFG; The Stolen Segue; Dungeons and Time Theft This week, we referenced a homebrew document for the start of a campaign; check it out here . Access the Homebrewery here . The .mp3 file is here .

As it turns out, all the House Stark fanboys were right. Winter has arrived (in most of North America at least), and the weather for many has dropped to a brisk, snowy climate. So what are you waiting for? Grab a blanket, throw a yule and a half on your local fire, and snuggle up with Initiative Role. We'll be waiting for you. ;) In this episode: Pickle Lane; 24k Podcast; Cut, Clarity, and Kindness; Master Builder Jeff; A Brief Break for Rumours; Robot Arm Saga; Polydactyly in Poor Taste; An Englebert Humperdinck Plug; The Least Self Aware Wizard; and a Lot of Persona Talk Our adventurers were still on hiatus at the time of recording, but they've since entered a forest to fight a beast, and you'll be able to review those materials with our next episode. Find the .mp3 file here .

As your gracious hosts, we've managed to rouse ourselves out of a turkey-induced coma to deliver yet another episode of Initiative Role! We even brought along our friend Gregg for the ride. In this episode: Animal Handling IRL, Crussus the Crusty, A Kenny Rogers Reference (Blink and You'll Miss It), The Good Clerics Down the Lane, Behind the Scenes with George Lucas, Zelda Spoilers, Ocarina Vocalizations, Creepin' Skeksis, The Worst Transition in Public Radio, Krampus, The Storytime Iditarod, NBA Jam Arrows This week, our adventurers are taking a break off for the holidays. Check out the .mp3 file here .

This week on Initiative Role, you'll be introduced to an adorable little informant who shares his name with an alcoholic beverage. Purely by coincidence, we swear. In this episode: The Dixon's Hidden Key, The Tomb of Bad Narratives, Getting Meta With Kraethar, Vanna Wight, Excelsior!, Master Schnaps' Boutique In our campaign, the adventurers have just finished The Graveyard. You can see the adventure on the Homebrewery  here . You can download the .mp3 here .

The mad conglomeration of holidays at the end of the Gregorian Calendar is upon us, and boy, do we have a gift for you. It's Initiative Role - a Dungeon Master's Guide to Mastering Dungeons! There's also been talk of a pumpkin-spice turkey with a pretty bow on it. In this episode: Behind the Sabrina Screen, Mickey Mouse's Funeral Snacks, Pelor the Sorceress, Hamburgler Explains It All, The Only Robin Hood That Matters, Beggars in the Octagon, Biased Wizards, The Brolin-Fraser Roast, Sudoku and Dragons. In our campaign, the adventurers have just finished The Gray Castle. You can see the adventure on the Homebrewery here . Download the MP3 file here .