This week's episode is about the longevity of magic: What to do when a magic potion goes past its expiration date, and what sort of a spell we would be if we were a spell. There's some solid goofs in here, so have fun!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Do potions have a "shelf life"? If a potion has "gone off" after hundreds of years, what are some changes that might occur and how would the Identify spell react?

2. If you could live the rest of your days as a living spell (like exists in Eberron) what spell would you choose to be?

Dragon's Hoard Item: The McGuffin

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Inter-Party Conflict

Episode 210 - Making Magic

This week we're joined by our good friend Dustun! The three of us discuss incorporating PCs with disabilities (both mental and physical) and much, much more! Come along with us and see what we have to say!

Question(s) discussed:
1. How would you integrate a PC with a disability into your game without just eliminating that disability? (And not just blindness, but missing limbs, using a wheelchair, etc.)

2. Have you ever roleplayed a mentally challenged person? Should that even be attempted? If so, what are your tips and suggestions for doing so respectfully?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Carapaced Horn

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Episode 219 - Dungeons & Disabilities

Today, we're joined by Fionn (aka PotatoPlunderer) to hang out and talk about some of our tips on creating homebrew content! This one is a ton of fun, so come along with us!

Question(s) discussed:
1. You're creating a homebrew campaign. Where do you start the process and what follows after?

2. How do you best balance homebrew mechanics? For that matter, what are your opinions on homebrew in general?

3. How do you determine CRs for homebrewed monsters?

4. What are your tips on creating homebrew classes/races/backgrounds/etc.?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Crown of the Library of Leng

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Episode 222 - Total Homebrew

Hello everyone! No guests this week (but stay tuned...) but instead we are discussing a couple specific rules-based questions, involving the wording of a few spells in 5th Edition D&D. That may sound dry but we're still going to have a lot of fun picking apart these scenarios!

Question(s) discussed:
1. The firebolt spell says it can target creatures and objects.  Do you let your players use other spells that don't specifically target objects to target them or no? I can understand a vicious mockery not breaking down a door but maybe an acid splash could.

2. If you cast "Wall of Stone" is the wall made of stone or magic?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Blue Falcon

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Episode 225 - Spells Set in Stone

On this week's episode, we talk about time travel, meeting gods, and plot armor for PCs. It's a fun one, so come along with us!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Have you ever encountered a deity in a game? As a presumably mortal GM, how do you go about depicting divine wisdom?

2. Plot armor for your players. Yay or nay?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Kyphos' Vessel of Timeless Spite

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Episode 233 - Gods in the Machine

We begin this week with a very important announcement. After that, we talk about two harbingers of the apocalypse: guns in D&D, and tolerance of rules lawyers. Bang!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Guns in fantasy. Yay or nay?

2. Why should a DM bother to entertain a rules lawyer?

Dragon's Hoard Item: The Sadist's Scourge

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Episode 235 - The Beginning of the End

Hot off the heels of last week's bummer announcement, we've got a super-fun episode for you today! We're talking about making a D&D fighting game, Wishing your character out of the timeline, traps- all kinds of fun stuff. Come along and enjoy the ride!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Imagine a D&D fighting game. What sort of characters should be on the roster?

2. Can you use Wish to respec your character (such as changing your class or race)?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Bag of Trapsmith Caltrops, Combat Edition

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Episode 236 - Gaming Wishes

Just when you thought the bad news was over, this week we've got some more! But then we move on to talk about what to do when you invite too many players, which book to be stranded with on a desert island, and why we think players choose to make new characters instead of reviving a dead one. We're making the best of the next few months, so come along with us!

Question(s) discussed:
1. I sent out too many invitations and now I have nine players. Any tips?

2. Desert Island question: You can take one DnD book. Which do you take?

3. Why do people usually roll new characters when they die (instead of trying to revive the old one)?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Spear of Kimahri

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Episode 237 - Out of Options

Hello again everyone! This week we're soldiering on with a strong theme: What makes D&D, D&D? Can you play D&D without combat? What about without dungeons? For that matter, why do people insist on playing D&D, rather than something else? Hear our thoughts and feel free to share yours!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Do you think it would be possible to run a D&D campaign with no or very little combat? How would you do this?

2. Why do you think people choose to play D&D, rather than a different game with a more (or less) restrictive ruleset?

3. Are "dungeons" obsolete or no longer used in your game sessions? Why or why not?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Blubber Balm

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Episode 238 - Oh Dungeons, Oh Dragons

This week, we're talking about the amount of money we have (or haven't) spent on miniatures, as well as rules exploits we've seen firsthand. Enjoy!

Question(s) discussed:
1. How much do you think you've spent on minis and battlemat decor?

2. What is the best/worst exploit you've seen used/attempted in a game?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Vision in the Night

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Episode 239 - Don't Even Try It

We took this week off so I could go on vacation, but in the meantime, we've got a special treat: four short discussions prompted by our patrons over the past year. Enjoy, and see you next week!

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Bonus Episode 10 - Patreon Discussion Prompts

We're back this week with a super-sized episode, and a very special guest- Freeman from Encounter This! We're talking about villains, game mechanics, and what makes them good or bad. This episode is a lot of fun, so come check it out!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What monsters make the best Big Bad Evil Guy?

2. What is your favorite villain trope and how often do you use them?

3. What mechanics would you borrow from other game systems, why, and how do you keep/make them balanced?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Earthen Sling

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Episode 240 - Big Borrowed Evil Guys

Oh my gods! How does a person become a god? How does a person... *kill* a god...? We discuss these topics and more on this week's episode!

Question(s) discussed:
1. How does a person become a god?

2. I'm going to be fighting a god soon, what's some advice you can give?

Dragon's Hoard Item: The Poking Stick of Magic Detection

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Episode 243 - Encountering Gods

Fortune and glory. Those are the things all adventurers want, yes? Well, this week we talk about a couple... unusual ways that they might be found. So come along with us, and let us know what you think!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What should I do when my players would rather be store owners than adventurers?

2. Imagine an NPC pays the party to make them famous by staging a battle or giving them credit for some heroic act. How would you do this throughout a campaign?

Dragon's Hoard Item: The Scepter of Hitzipo

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Episode 244 - Valar Dohaeris

This week, we talk about starting points, outdated options, and what to do when you've really biffed an adventure scenario. Come along for the ride, as there's not much ride left!

Question(s) discussed:
1. If you wanted to run a campaign based on an earlier edition, but the character options (races, classes, etc.) hadn't been updated to the current edition, how would you proceed?

2. How do you feel about starting session 1 in media res rather than a "starting point" like a tavern?

3. One of my players had a class feature that completely ruined my adventure. Was I in the wrong to house rule that ability away?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Storm Lord Sextant

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Episode 245 - Expired Ideas

We're joined by Damian the DM, host of a great Actual Play podcast, to talk about the nitty gritty of running, recording, and producing an Actual Play podcast!

Question(s) discussed:
1. When recording an Actual Play podcast, what are the best recording software options?

2. What are tips and hacks for short-cutting or expediting the post recording editing process?

3. How do you prevent or reduce side conversations that are fun at a normal game but would distract and annoy a podcast audience?

4. Similarly, how do you strike a balance of getting to know the players and keeping the focus of the pod on the characters?

5. Do you give PCs plot armor in an actual play? What are some reasons for or against?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Hope's Justice

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Episode 246 - Real Talk About Actual Play

This week we have another special guest- game editor, Jacob Cassens! The three of us use this opportunity to discuss adapting RPGs for children, removing racism from the rulebooks, and much, much more!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What kind of things have people done to adapt 5E for kids?

2. What do you think of role playing a world or game sessions without the racism that seems cooked into the very crust of D&D?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Coin Pouch of Mask

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Episode 247 - Young At Heart

As our episodes are winding down, we're using this one to talk about one of our favorite subjects: Magic! Specifically, how ability scores relate to magic for different classes. Also, we run down some of our favorite non-combat spells! Enjoy!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Why do Sorcerers use Charisma as their spellcasting stat?

2. What is your favorite utility spell?

Dragon's Hoard Item: The Finger Trap

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Episode 248 - Oblique Magic

After 249 episodes, we're tackling the problem that spawned this entire podcast: Problem players, and how to deal with them. This is a jam-packed episode, so come along with us and let's figure this out together!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What are some types of problem players you may encounter in a game, and how should you deal with them?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Orbs of Dragonkind

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Episode 249 - Not My Problem

Well, it's here: episode 250, the end of five years of tabletop gaming advice. We're celebrating this occasion with our good friend and fellow podcast, Justin from Crit Academy! With his help, we're knocking out all the rest of our unused discussion questions in a grab bag of gaming advice and memories. I hope you enjoy it, and be sure to join us next week as we wind down and send off Inter-Party Conflict!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What is a good way to bring up the subject if you think the DM is kneecapping certain skills, such as by setting DCs too high?

2. I'm making music playlists for my DnD game. What playlist themes (combat music, tavern music, etc.) would I need to cover all of the various states of play?

3. Have you ever played/encountered someone else playing an alternate character in a campaign? Did it enhance the gameplay in expected/unexpected ways, or hurt the gameplay in expected/unexpected ways? Or both?

4. What are your top tips for a new DM?

5. What is the most fun way a PC has died in a game you have been in?

6. What are your opinions on Gith?

7. What do you do when one player seems to be directly antagonizing another player in-game?

8. How can I play a narrow-minded, self-centered character in a party without ruining everyone else's experience?

9. What is the best way to learn how to optimize a character in D&D?

10. What minor rule in your games do you keep forgetting? 

11. If you could make a useless cantrip, what would it do?

Dragon's Hoard Item: Frostbringer

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Episode 250 - Exit, Stage Left

Hello, everyone! The end has come, but we're not going down without a fight. Join us as we look back at five years of podcasting, the guests who have helped us get where we are, and put our experiences to the test. It's been a wild ride, and we couldn't have done it without all of you. So grab a drink, take a deep breath, and come with us as we go out on a high note!

To take the IPC Trivia Quiz, click this link: http://www.quiz-maker.com/QP91SWE5F

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After-Party Conflict

My wife commissioned a short horror story from Ken MacGregor, and I liked it so much I recorded an audio version of it! Enjoy.

Audio Fiction

A Bug in the Program - by Ken MacGregor

Welcome to Inter-Party Conflict, the podcast where we answer YOUR questions about D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games. Need some advice? Want some tips? Just feel like talking to some guys about the experience of playing D&D? Then come on and join us! E-mail us your questions at InterPartyConflict@gmail.com and have them answered on-air!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What was your first gaming experience? (How did you get into D&D?)

2. What is the ideal number of players in a group?

3. How to manage combat efficiently and successfully?

4. Miniatures, yay or nay?

5. Miniature hacks - how to make/use cost effective miniatures if you don't feel like dishing out $$$ on plastic figurines?

6. Table rules. Which ones are common, and how to encourage them?

7. How best to tweak a monster stat block to represent more of a challenge without compromising the original flavor of the monster?

8. How do you say no to players? Whether it's with character concepts, homebrewing, or anything else.

9. What is your favorite gaming snack?

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Episode 01 - Introductions

Episode 6 of Inter-Party Conflict. What are YOU listening to this Valentine's Day?

Question(s) discussed:
1. What tips and tricks do you have for DMing a one-on-one campaign?

2. As players reach higher levels, how do you balance combat while keeping it interesting, but not too deadly?

3. Which do you think is better, a campaign with a single overarching quest or a campaign that is more like an anthology of different quests?

4. What non-D&D fantasy games do you enjoy?

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Episode 06 - Love and Samurai

Come listen to episode 7! It's way better than other podcasts. I promise.

Question(s) discussed:
1. How to deal with a problem player? What are some ideas for resolving issues, and/or expelling them from the campaign while not severing friendships.?

2. Have you ever tried integrating monsters, items, etc from games, movies, or TV?

3. How do you handle the imbalance when one player loves roleplaying and hamming it up and the other does not?

4. How to spread spotlight across every player instead of having one strong player personality dominate it?

5. How to make your story more open-worldy/sandboxy, and how to avoid railroading your campaign?

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Episode 07 - Inter-Party Drama

Come listen to Inter-Party Conflict! You know you want to.

Question(s) discussed:
1. How do you roleplay low charisma?

2. Lately, it has been difficult for me to set aside time for face to face campaigns. What are your thoughts on play by post campaigns?

3. How should I gauge if a fight is too difficult for my group?

4. What do you think of parties having pets/companions?

5. Do you feel 5E mechanics would work in a Modern setting?

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Episode 09 - All About Charisma

Am I the problem player? No. It's everyone else who's wrong.

Question(s) discussed:
1. Would you as a DM ever use a timer to force a player to act quickly in combat? (Rather than letting them fumble to figure out what to do on their turn?)

2. Have you experimented with reskinning classes and class features to emulate new or un-updated material?

3. How do you avoid being the problem player?

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Episode 13 - Rather Problematic

In this episode of Inter-Party Conflict, we discuss magic items, Minecraft, Alignments, and making a character with 18s in every stat. Come over and give us a listen, and send us some of your own questions too!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What are some tips for designing custom magic items for my players?

2. Do you think a certain alignment lends itself to a certain personality?

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Episode 15 - Item Creation

Hello listeners! This week we talk about building a campaign entirely around exploration- exploring a jungle, exploring a continent, exploring an extra-dimensional building- we've got dos and donts to help make sure the exploration remains exciting and fun. Check us out!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What are some tips on running a campaign based entirely around exploration?

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Episode 85 - Preparing for Exploration

This week, we talk about giving feedback when leaving a gaming group, as well as how to make players feel overwhelmed by enemies without actually overwhelming them with enemies. Come along for the ride!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Should you leave feedback when leaving a gaming group?

2. How can I make my PCs feel the danger of being overwhelmed by an onslaught of foes without feeling like an accountant for managing so many enemies at the same time?

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Episode 103 - Enemies on Every Side

This week, we discuss the Five-Room Dungeon, and how you can use it to breathe new life into your tabletop games!

Question(s) discussed:
1. What is the "five room dungeon" and how do you use it?  

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Episode 104 - Your Own Five-Room Dungeon

Hello and welcome, everyone! This episode is a new beginning for us; we never really had an "introductory" episode (our first episode was just a typical episode- we never had one specifically for new players or new listeners) so three years in, here we are. This is a whopper of an episode, so enjoy it, and come back next week!

Question(s) discussed:
1. I'm thinking of getting into D&D 5th Edition. What do I need to know?

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Episode 151 - Everyone Should Start Here

This week we talk about magical allergies, and leaving clues throughout your campaign!

Question(s) discussed:
1. Would you ever consider giving a character an allergy to magic (either mechanical or purely for flavor)?

2. How important is it to litter your campaign with subtle clues to the major plot?

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Episode 196 - It's In The Details

Welcome to Inter-Party Conflict, the podcast where we answer your questions so you can have the best tabletop gaming experience possible!

Popular tracks by Inter-Party Conflict