[#113] Our final special LIVE episode recorded in the spacious gaming area of The Keep in Brick, NJ. This week, Jason, Josey, and Jim welcome another local NJ gamer, Mike Cortese, who brings us an epic horror story that stops at all the Bad Game Stations of the Cross.

• You can visit The Keep whenever you’re in Central NJ.
• Jason met Mike (and Jim!) on the NJ Dungeons & Dragons Facebook Group.
• The campaign Mike talked about used a Base 8 monetary system
• The Forgotten Realms calendar used 10-day weeks, I guess.
• Jim and Jason hate shopping sessions, but not everyone does (for some reason).

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#112] Another special LIVE episode recorded in the spacious gaming area of The Keep in Brick, NJ. This week, Jason, Josey, and Jim welcome NJ-local DM Mike Perrone.

• You can visit The Keep whenever you’re in Central NJ.
• Jason met Mike (and Jim!) on the NJ Dungeons & Dragons Facebook Group.
• Jason’s condolences notwithstanding, a whole lot of people play D&D via Roll20.
• “I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the CW show Supernatural?”
• Jim invoked weird fantasy author China Meilville as inspiration for one of his campaigns.

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#111] Another LIVE episode recorded in the spacious gaming area of The Keep in Brick, NJ. This week, Jason and Jim welcome Tony Ingracia - or DMTony on the DND404 podcast - live and in person, as Josey joins us remotely.

• You can visit The Keep whenever you’re in Central NJ.
• Tony’s podcast is about 3 brand new players exploring D&D for the first time.
• Jason’s relentless stanning for NADDPOD continues.
• Crawfish head, lobster claws, boobs out. Must be Bilbdoolpoolp.
• The classic AD&D adventure Jim referenced is D2, Shrine of the Kuo-Toa.

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#110] In the second part of Jim and Jason’s LIVE conversation with Tony Bogan of The Keep Hobby Shop in Brick, NJ, we’re joined by Josey!

• You can visit The Keep whenever you’re in Central NJ.
• Tony’s day job is running fishing and party charter boats on the Jersey shore.
• Tony invoked the classic Deities & Demigods AD&D Hardcover.
• Do you still have your favorite classic AD&D character’s sheet? Tony does!
• Tony designed The Keep’s logo before he signed the lease.
• You only wish your PC had a Castle like Zandar’s
• Tony kept that sheet, too!

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#109] In our first C&D LIVE episode, Jim and Jason meet in person at Jason's FLGS The Keep in Brick, NJ to chat with owner Tony Bogan.

• You can visit The Keep whenever you’re in Central NJ.
• Tony’s day job is running fishing and party charter boats on the Jersey shore.
• Tony got his start with the Classic White Box of basic D&D.
• Role-playing and TCGs are widely popular in the military.
• If you were born after Y2K, modems are just history to you.
• Jason bragged about having a Funko Gelatinous Cube.
• Jason, was, in fact, the 11th most popular name for boys in 1984 when he was born, and in the Top Ten for most of the 80s.

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com


Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#108] In this DMAdvice episode, Jason and Jim offer advice on how to get your players to trust your NPCs a little less, how to recapture the spark of role-play in a long-running campaign, and what to do about that guy who wants to be Venom in your first campaign.

• Read the original posts on gullible(?) PCs, static PCs, and overcooked PCs.
• Jim invoked the Quest Giver trope.
• Jason was lamenting he needed to learn to do a Scottish accent
• Jason reminded us he’s a superfan of Not Another D&D Podcast.
• If you want to play Venom, do it in a Marvel RPG, not D&D.
• Turns out Unicorn poachers are not the same as Unicorn hunters.
• Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit.

Check out other DMAcademy episodes
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

[#107] In this special episode, Jason, Josey, and Jim discuss the deeply disturbing implications of D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast hiring the Pinkerton Agency, notorious extra-judicial corporate mercenaries, to enforce street dates for Magic cards.

• This Gizmodo article should fill you in on the basics of the original story.
• ‘The Pinkertons’ started as private bounty hunters on behalf of banks and railroads. They weren’t very good at it.
• They soon graduated from killing the family members of outlaws to killing the family members of Union organizers.
• That includes women and children.
• They are credibly believed to have destroyed evidence when ordered to testify before Congress.
• Nerds may know who they are because they sued Rockstar Games.
• They’re still actively engaged in Union-busting at the behest of companies like Amazon and Starbucks.
• As a 19th-century newspaper columnist put it so eloquently: “No man of refined sensibilities would enter the ranks as a hired Hessian of plutocracy, expecting to shoot down his brothers at the command of capital.”

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, Jim Crocker (from a suggestion by Greg Genovas)Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#106] Another Horror Story episode with Jason and Josey. This week, the tale of a petulant DM for whom it was her way or the highway.

• Read the original post and comments.
• Josey mentioned Jim’s aversion to home-brewed Fantasy Heartbreakers.
• No one likes Daylight Savings Time.
• Seriously, steer clear of DMPCs.
• Jason pointed out that adversity is unpleasant.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Josey Diaz
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#105] In this Horror Story episode Jason and Josey bring us a tale of Sci-Fi miscommunication.
CW: Violence against children is discussed in this episode.

• Read the original post and comments.
• Jason mentioned that Joey would soon be returning to Study Hell.
• The game in question was the classic SF RPG Traveller, which has gone through as many versions as D&D since its original release.
• Jason is right, War IS Hell.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Josey Diaz
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#104] This month, we’re doing a series of DM Tips in list form. This week, Jason steps up with a handful of web apps to help you manage your games.

• DNDBeyond is the gold standard for managing characters online, it’s official, and there’s a very robust FREE tier for players in your campaign. This is the Chrome extension that Jason recommends to add additional bells and whistles.
• Improved Initiative is an app for browser and mobile to track exactly what you think.
• For character models you can turn into portraits and even custom miniatures, there’s HeroForge and TitanCraft
• For a no-frills but free Virtual Tabletop, Owlbear Rodeo is basically in continuous development, getting better with each update.
• Fast Character can whip up a playable 5e character in just a few seconds for a late-arriving player or setting up one-shots. Here’s a PDF of the PC Jason and Jim whipped up and here's the Race/Class Dice Jason mentioned
• Dungeon Alchemist produces really good usable maps, including motion-enhanced versions.
• If you play over Zoom, Fathom Notetaker can really enhance your notes

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker.
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo.

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#103] This month, we’re doing a series of DM Tips in list form. This week, Jim offers his take on the five things you can do in advance to improve your 5e sessions, in order of importance.

• There’s a lot of ways to take session notes, here’s a nice simple template from Sly Flourish.
• If you have the right fancy gaming table, you can actually leave it set up!
• A deluxe, high-end miniatures case can help keep everything neat.
• We never miss a chance to endorse The Monsters Know What They’re Doing.

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker.
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo.

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#102] In this DM Advice segment, Jason and Jim offer their thoughts on dueling patrons, checking over and over, and our favorite "reverse metagaming"

• You can read the original posts on juggling warlock patrons, repeating skill checks, and reverse meta-gaming.
• Some patrons are better than others, at least according to our pals at CBR.
• We couldn’t tell you what to do if you had to open a safe in real life, but this guy can.
• PLase try to remember the bass player’s name.
• Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit.

Check out other DMAcademy episodes
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#101] In this edition of Horror Stories, Jim, Jason, and Josey share the tale of the Board Game Night that would not be denied!

• Read the original story and comments
• In case you don’t know what Catan is.
• Josey was talking Bullshit.
• Roll20 is notoriously difficult to program in. Here’s the API.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo
Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#100] It’s our 100th episode SPECTACULAR! THANK YOU, ADVENTURERS!

We’re taking a moment to look back and follow up with some of our favorite episodes, talk about where we’ve been, and a little about where we’re going.

Episodes we look back at and get updates on:

• OG C&D host Jack O’Connell came on to share an exclusive Wholesome Story with us!
• #01: Our very first Horror Stories Commentary
• #85: Wholesome Stories VI
• #87: DM Academy VII
• #95: Soul Coins and Safety Tools

Everything we love can be found at curmudgeonsanddragons.com

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Josey Diaz, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#99] Josey returns from academia to grace us with her presence! Today’s horror story is about what happens when you don’t think through letting your PCs play chaotic evil and the Main Characters that can result.

AUDIOPHILE NOTE: Jason was so excited about the new microphone he bought just for this recording session that he didn’t notice it was pretty badly damaged and didn’t sound right. He fixed it with the best technology available but it’s not up to our standards. Sorry!

• Read along with us at the original reddit link
• It’s easy to play games like Oblivion and Fallout as a murder-hobo, but playing as a pacifist is the real challenge.
• Jason advised against going Full Tarantino.
• Chaotic Neutral has a variety of flavors.
• Check us out on TikTok!
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday, now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Jim Crocker, and Josey Diaz.
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#98] Jason and Jim look to the Reddit mailbag to offer their advice to DMs in a variety of situations. This week: monster stat transparency, DMing for kids, and how to handle skill check pile-ons.

• Do you tell players about legendary resistance?
  • Here’s a great primer on how Legendary Resistance works from Halfling Hobbies.
• Running a game for kids. How?
  • The Magic School Bus started with a book series that was made into an animated TV show.
  • WotC has a ready-made selection of ready-to-play characters.
  • Jim suggested Strixhaven as an ideal open-table beginner game.
• How I discourage meta-gaming at my table
  • Jason mentioned Paradox Perfect and the AP he enjoyed from the 3 Black Halflings Podcast.
  • Jim mentioned Forged in the Dark RPGs.
  • The Avatar Legends RPG just shipped and should be in stores soon.
• Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit.

Check out other DMAcademy episodes
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo.

[#97] We welcome back special guest Melissa Mayhew for a Horror Story that asks whether becoming a cannibal who tortures and murders another PC makes you an asshole. Josey is off this week.

• Check out the original post and comments.
• Check out Melissa’s musical endeavors, Action Rabbit and Sour Candy Project.
• The idea of DM Fiat goes back decades. Here’s a good rundown on Stack Exchange
• Jason invoked the classic Dreamcast RPG Shenmue.
• The 3.5 edition had a Hatred Domain for clerics, not imported into 5e.
• Gaslighting definitely means something different than what you think it does.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday, now with video!

Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Jim Crocker, and Melissa Mayhew.
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#96] This week, we welcome back special guest Melissa Mayhew, a local musician and D&D player. Jason, Jim, and Melissa a Horror Story of playing an online game from grandma’s bathroom. Josey is off this week.

AUDIOPHILE NOTE: We did our best to clean up the little bit of echo we had during recording, but you may notice a bit of it here and there. Apologies in advance.

• Check out the original post and comments.
• Check out Melissa’s musical endeavors, Action Rabbit and Sour Candy Project.
• You can find a wide range of paid (and apparently the occasional free) games at Start Playing.
• Definitely look into having a drag queen birthday party
• Jason mentioned NADDPOD, which is how the kids refer to Not Another D&D Podcast.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday, now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo, Jim Crocker, and special guest Melissa Mayhew
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production.

[#95] Jason and Jim delve into the horror stories that can come up in Dungeons and Dragons, from the tales of players tasked with retrieving soul coins to the challenges of being a relationship with your DM. With their special guest, Melissa Mayhew, they discuss how to properly address and avoid these uncomfortable scenarios and the importance of setting ground rules, while also reminding us that horror stories can sometimes still have a happy ending.

• Check out Melissa’s musical endeavors, Action Rabbit and Sour Candy Project.
• We referred back to Jim’s immortal tale of Flapjack the Mage.
• According to people who know what they’re talking about, you couldn’t actually ride a velociraptor.
• Soul Coins are a video game thing that actually made their way into 5th Edition.
• Please weigh in on whether Melissa’s situation was more of a quandary, a kerfuffle, or a dilemma.
• For more stories of terrible games, check out the RPG Horror Stories subreddit.

New episodes every Friday, now with video!
Check out our other episodes!
And the youtube, too!
Hosted by Jason Portizo, Jim Crocker, and special guest Melissa Mayhew
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo

Curmudgeons and Dragons is a JTP Audio production

[#94] Jim and Jason offer advice to DMs about civil wars, chariots, and a hybrid advice/horror story!

• Read the original Civil War post.
• Read the unexpected guests post
• Read the chariots post
• There’s a long, rich history of killing your dad in dramatic fiction.
• Vecna is, technically, a God in 5th Edition, and as such has no official stat block.
• Join the conversation at the DMAcademy subreddit.

Check out other DMAcademy episodes

And the youtube, too!

Hosted by Jason Portizo, and Jim Crocker
Produced and Edited by Jason Portizo