Well, Wizards of the Coast (with lots of Hasbro fingerprints) has stuck it to fans again -- this time, their 5e base.  WotC has chosen to force the shift to OneDND and will auto convert all materials in D&D Beyond to the new platform, once again breaking their word about backwards compatibility.  The SparkleTroll crowd is NOT happy.  Can we utilize this move to save one or more 5e darlings and bolster our corner of the hobby?  A detailed discussion between Ryan, Bert, and Kyle; and the stances the three take about saving (or not saving) the mainstream will surprise you!
 

In the debut episode of the Elven Maid Inn's short-form show, she talks about Fudging and it's implications and impact on games and the hobby.
 
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Continuing the 2-part show from last week, Grim Jim joins RD and Bert to talk about the discussion in the mainstream TTRPG/DnD hobby for the "need" for game designers to insert and address political themes, social justice, and "wrongs" of society in their games.  Why is this a "need?"  Answer: It is not.  Plus, we begin the show laughing at some insanity in the pop media with the news and a trip to our favorite inmates-running-the-asylum online cesspool, Reddit.
 

OneDND has been set free by Wizards of the Coast.  With WotC's "new" and "daring" upgrade now getting a lot of buzz, we take an ENTIRE episode talking about other games you can and should bring to your table!  With Kyle out on vacation, our friend Grim Jim Desborough sits in and brings his unique perspective and two decades of professional game design experience to the conversation.  Our picks span fantasy, horror, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and more.. the guys dive deep into their choices of TTRPGs for your crew.  
 

Did you know that Dave Arneson worked on a super-secret follow-up to Blackmoor with a nobody studio that no one has heard of?  NEITHER DID THE ARNESON ESTATE.  This disgusting grift really has RD and the boys upset, and they detail the situation for you.  Plus, Kelsey and ShadowDark sweep the ENNIEs and a Reddit redemption story.
 

Hasbro's 2nd Quarter earnings have posted.  WotC continues to bleed.  Sales are down.  BUT -- RD thinks the Q looks... good?!?  An economics light discussion of why Hasbro may not be in as much peril as some in the hobby would like.  Plus, Elder Gods and Woke Warriors in the news.  After the news, the guys look at how Wizards of the Coast believes they are pandering to their SparkleTroll audience, but it may be backfiring based on response to the "new" Ranger class.
 

Bert and RD sit down and talk about a request from a friend of the show: "What is your personal 'Appendix N-like' curated list of non-print inspiration?"  Listen as the guys chronicle everything from Movies to TV to Video Games and more!  How did these items impact their games and their creativity?  The news this week is, well, exactly what you would expect during a week when Wizards of the Coast released a Rainbow Brite sorcerer.  It's a fun discussion that pulls from all of the things we love!
 

Oh no!  That giant just turned Bert's character into meat paste!  What considerations are necessary and what must a player, a DM, and a gaming group do to pivot when a PC buys the farm?  RD and Bert pontificate this point because, well, Bert's character was turned into meat paste at the last gaming session.  After the news, the duo discuss what input, if any, is appropriate for players to have and what sway do they carry as it relates to world building.