About the show

Father and son team, Jay and Jack Oatway, bring together two generations of Dungeons and Dragons experience. They discuss fun, offbeat ways to bring more to the table. From how to create characters that challenge expectations, to building a more well-rounded campaign: tune in for fresh perspectives for players and DMs, whether you are new to the game, or are a seasoned veteran.

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Episodes and Blog Entries

  • Sorcerer Redux: Better With Spell Points

    Episode  |  May 14th, 2021  |  55 mins 42 secs
    adding flavor, point buy, revised, sorcerer, spell points, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, weirdness

    In the back of the DM's Guide is an often overlooked section about using spell points instead of spell slots. While many dismiss this as too confusing, on closer examination, this might be just the ticket for giving sorcerers that extra love they deserve...that and a few other tweaks, which we discus in this episode.

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    The Raven Ranger: Building the Right Character for The Setting

    Episode  |  May 7th, 2021  |  44 mins 17 secs
    adding flavor, background occupation, ranger, steal this character, subverting tropes, swarm keeper, tips, weirdness

    We all like to build cool, interesting characters. We like breaking tropes, and coming up with original concepts. But often that's not enough. This episode, we look at not just building a good character, we look at building "the right character".

  • You Can't Break the Game, But You Can Break Your Friends

    Episode  |  April 30th, 2021  |  45 mins 1 sec
    breaking the game, having fun, interpersonal conflicts, resolving issues

    Is it possible to break D&D? What does it even mean when someone says, "That's totally broken!"? We investigate this idea and discuss how there is almost nothing, mechanically speaking, that can be introduced to the game that can't be managed somehow. And then we look at the one place where things are not always so easy to manage -- people's feelings. If there is anything that get broken in D&D, it can be hearts. And it can be friendships. We talk about how to prevent that from happening, and how to play the most fun-even-if-it-is-unbalanced-and-weird game of D&D.

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    Turning a Old Subclass Into New Gold

    Episode  |  April 23rd, 2021  |  55 mins 56 secs
    adding flavor, cleric, forge domain, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, weirdness

    This week we hope to inspire you to re-examine subclass features you may have overlooked. We take a second look at a the Forge Domain Cleric, and in particular their unique Channel Divinity. Join us as we discuss how our Kobold cleric build would potentially generate hundreds of gold coin per day, just through an act of devotion to their diety.

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    Putting More Dragon in Your Next Character Build

    Episode  |  April 16th, 2021  |  1 hr 6 mins
    dragonborn, kobolds, spells, steal this character, subverting tropes, unearthed arcana

    With the recent drop of new Unearthed Arcana focusing on draconic options, this week we unpack all the new ways that you can now boost your character's dragon ancestry. We discuss how we might choose between Chromatic, Metallic and Gem dragon lineages. We look at how you can build a "dragon-touched" race using custom lineage and the new dragon feats. And we unpack the lore surrounding some new dragon-inspired spells.

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    Beyond Beast Mode: Getting the Most Out of Wild Shape

    Episode  |  April 9th, 2021  |  1 hr 2 mins
    adding flavor, druid, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, weirdness, wild shape

    Druids are well known for being able to take the form animals, but recent additions to the rules provide new uses for the Wild Shape feature. From magical bow and arrows to fiery elemental companions, join us as we look at how the new features are transforming the way we can play Druids.

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    Part 2: The Great Outer Planes Travel Guide

    Episode  |  April 2nd, 2021  |  1 hr 5 mins
    adding flavor, exploration, outer planes, three pillars, tips, weirdness

    Need some warmer weather? Maybe some extreme sports to satisfy your need for adrenaline? Why not head to the fabulous Outer Planes? Perhaps try you luck at some of the Lower Planes. Can't decide which? Don't worry, we've got you covered -- plus some great tips on how to use the Outlands to build you next character's back story.

  • Part 1: The Great Outer Planes Travel Guide

    Episode  |  April 2nd, 2021  |  52 mins 6 secs
    adding flavor, exploration, outer planes, three pillars, tips, weirdness

    Feeling cooped up? Feeling like your character just needs a little getaway? Why not send them to the fabulous Outer Planes? Can't decide which of the 16 planes to visit first? Don't worry, we've got you covered -- plus some great tips on how to use the Outlands to build you next character's back story.

  • Big Shoes To Fill: Playing with Giants

    Episode  |  March 26th, 2021  |  1 hr 1 min
    adding flavor, background occupation, dm tips, steal this character, subverting tropes, weirdness

    Jack and Jay go up the beanstalk this week to talk about all about something really big: giants! We work our way through the Ordning (social structure), from lowly playable giant-kin like Goliaths and Firbolgs, all the way to the top of the clouds and into the storms! We talk about their magic, their runes, their culture -- and even some fun ways to have a fog giant as your warlock's patron.

  • Get Your Fur On: How To Play Animal Races

    Episode  |  March 19th, 2021  |  1 hr 5 mins
    adding flavor, owlfolk, rabbitfolk, races, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, ua, weirdness

    With some new fey animalfolk races coming out in Unearthed Arcana, we take a look at all the features that the various animal races provide in D&D 5e. From Lizardfolk to Luxadons, Owlfolk to Leonin, we've got all the fur, claws, fangs, trunks, scales and feathers covered.

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    Which Rogue Subclass Will You Play Next?

    Episode  |  March 12th, 2021  |  47 mins 23 secs
    arcane trickster, assassin, inquisitive, mastermind, phantom, rogue, scout, skulker, sneak attack, soulknife, steal this character, subverting tropes, swashbuckler, thief, tips, weirdness

    Jay and Jack discuss the Rogue subclasses, and debate which one is the best. It's a hard choice, as all Rogues are great, and no party should go adventuring without one. However, some are more appealing than others. Tune in to find out which ones get top ranking.

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    How To Prep A Horror Game

    Episode  |  March 5th, 2021  |  45 mins 59 secs
    adding flavor, dm tips, game prep, horror, session zero

    We peer into the dark forbidden corners to reveal the elements that make horror jump out at your players in a way that regular campaign settings might not.

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    Learning to Love Bloodhunters

    Episode  |  February 26th, 2021  |  59 mins 50 secs
    adding flavor, background occupation, bloodhunter, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, weirdness

    Sometimes we can't get past the sight of blood...and because of that we don't make bloodhunters. We don't even taken the time to read the class features, or the sub-classes. Until someone comes along to take us by the hand, and show us some of the really cool things about this Critical Role class. Join us as Jack guides Jay on this learning journey.

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    Everything You Want to Know About Undead, But Were Afraid To Ask

    Episode  |  February 19th, 2021  |  1 hr 3 mins
    cleric, monsters, tips, turn undead, undead

    This week we hold aloft our holy symbols as we talk not just about how to turn the undead, but how to play them, both as players and as a DM.

  • Going, Going, Goth

    Episode  |  February 12th, 2021  |  1 hr 3 secs
    barbarian, gothic lineages, phantom, rogue, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, ua, zealot

    This week we looked at the new UA lineages of Dhampirs, Hexblood and Reborn -- and talk about making scary characters. We also look at a Reborn Phantom Zealot build. And we discuss how these character may, or may not, fit into your next (or current) horror campaign.

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    Try to Talk Your Way Out

    Episode  |  February 5th, 2021  |  52 mins 23 secs
    deception, performance, persuasion, social interaction, three pillars, tips

    Sometimes an encounter with a monster doesn't have to become a fight. As a DM, to create opportunities for players to talk to the bad guys, you need to know what the monster wants (or at least have a handy table on stand-by that you can roll on to find out what they want). We look at how the "guidelines" for parley work, and how you as a player might be able to talk your way out of a tight spot.