#naddpod blogging

[gideonthefirst]

hey i don’t know if you listen to naddpod anymore seems like maybe not but if you haven’t kept up on things. i really recommend listening to the most recent c3 episode i think you might like it

i do actually i’m caught up except for some parts of eldermourne which i skipped!! it’s really sweet of you to think of me - i’ve heard about the situation from today’s ep and am a little bit skeptical of it as a choice but am excited to see how it develops

#asks #anonymous #naddpod blogging

[islandoforder]

definitely the reason that murph is on brennan’s side for the yaaaathqueens/yathmag debate is from the number of naddpod bits that caldwell/jake/em go in on that he doesn’t even understand

#brian murphy #brennan lee mulligan #caldwell tanner #jake hurwitz #emily axford #dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high #fhjy #adventuring party #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #podcast blogging

[utilitycaster]

The narrative of D&D

Fantasy High Junior Year has made its exploration of the tropes, mechanics, and structures of D&D readily apparent, perhaps even more so than the earlier two seasons. This is unsurprising for a show in which the characters are, in-universe, extremely aware of their mechanics and indeed in a high school intended to develop them. And yet, while Brennan Lee Mulligan pokes at these structures, the story still rests squarely within them.

This is not accidental; in longer form narratives (and Fantasy High as an overall story certainly is one, though each individual season exists in a strange no-man's land of campaign length) there is a distinctive pattern to the D&D narrative, one that is outright stated in the player's handbook. D&D is a progressive advancement game; characters grow in power and in sociopolitical import as they level up. They begin, even at level 1, as exceptional people (no commoner stats for them) and are destined by the fact that they are in a D&D game for greatness. There are things D&D supports well; travel, social interaction, one-time skill use, and combat. There are things it does poorly, notably downtime and stories that are not built along the lines of heroic fantasy.

I think this is a value neutral statement, in that I think that trying to avoid playing D&D while playing D&D is a futile exercise; your character will become more powerful while playing it and the only way to avoid gaining this power is to play a different game. I also think that while D&D has the potential to comment on our world from a new perspective, as most speculative fiction does, and is certainly not without flaws, that conversation is one for a later date. The structure exists; like it or not, it exists. There are other games to play that support other stories.

Fantasy High is direct in its engagement: characters are aware of their classes. They learn about the conventions thereof in their high school coursework, and must justify their multiclassing, both with their current level of power in their base class as well as with what they have done (both narrative and mechanical justifications). The antagonists of Junior Year are the Rat Grinders, explicitly commenting on Experience vs. Milestone leveling; several characters provide an eye into such D&D player tropes as min-maxxing and focusing on RP vs only on the game and mechanical elements. The Seven, set in the same world, operates on a similar premise; the party risks being broken up because half are still in high school and they would not survive a split of that level. Adventurers at the Aguefort Academy must adventure, and both the humor and deconstruction come from the juxtaposition of the conventions of D&D with the typical life of a high school student. The characters do level up; they do become more recognizable; they do have to save the world, repeatedly.

A somewhat subtler deconstruction comes in the form of NADDPod's first campaign, or as it was introduced, The Campaign after the Campaign. As envisioned by Brian Murphy (a player in Fantasy High; it is perhaps relevant that the two shows both began production around the same time), the world in which it is set is grappling with the aftermath of the "campaign" of the three legendary heroes Alanis, Thiala, and Ulfgar, who had slain Asmodeus, among other feats. While this ended a war, it set off several crucial events. Most centrally to the story of NADDPod, Thiala, disillusioned with her role as the healer, broke her worship of Pelor and used the heart of Asmodeus to ascend to godhood; she would eventually become the final antagonist of the campaign. However, the death of Asmodeus also set off a power vacuum in Hell. NADDPod's third campaign is set two centuries after the first, and the new legendary heroes (the Band of Boobs of the first campaign) have been dealing with the aftermath of an extraplanar war of the gods; Mothership, the main antagonist, arose in Thiala's wake. This is all typical actions leading to consequences, but the idea that the butterfly that flapped its wings was the resentment of someone having to play the cleric is notable (and is directly contrasted by Emily Axford's Bahumia characters, who openly embrace healing and support casting, breaking Thiala's cycle while cleaning up her mess.) But NADDPod too is heroic fantasy, even with the science fantasy elements present in the second season, and even slots nicely into the PHB tiers.

Critical Role does not, per se, strive to deconstruct in the same way (though Matt Mercer does provide some direct retorts to Forgotten Realms lore, particularly that of drow). But like NADDPod, the consequences of past campaigns influence subsequent ones. Campaign 1 is very easily recognizable as a classic "gain influence and power" story, and while Campaign 2's heroes the Mighty Nein retain a refreshingly low profile throughout the story, it does still progress in a typical way, though in a rather more self-directed manner.

Campaign 3 is interesting, in that it initially deviates from some of the more classic tropes of early D&D, but ultimately succumbs (to its benefit, in my opinion) to the inertia of the heroic fantasy arc. Bells Hells do not work their way up from level 1 or 2 taking on odd jobs; they begin the campaign by joining up with a benevolent patron, and several party members have pre-existing powerful connections. They receive the use of a skyship by episode 22 and level 6 (something even Vox Machina considered having to steal at level 13) and inherit it not long after. And yet: despite this, and a pivotal set piece of the apogee solstice in which a comparatively low level party plays a part among many factions, following a brief split the campaign begins to run on more familiar tracks. For all the early privileges the team enjoyed and the theological debates they engaged in, they ultimately find themselves in a position identical to that of the archetypal Vox Machina: facing an evil wizard who, after a rushed solstice ritual mid-campaign, only partially unsealed a long-imprisoned ancient deity of manipulation and destruction and now wishes to finish the job. One must assume Delilah Briarwood is appreciating the parallels from within Laudna's psyche.

Worlds Beyond Number is a player on the scene to watch out for, especially because Mulligan has shown himself to enjoy playing with these tropes and his players are all immensely knowledgeable and experienced players (and in Aabria Iyengar's case, DMs) themselves. Rather like Bells Hells, two of its three characters are coming in already in storied positions, despite being level 2, and it will be interesting to see if it bucks the trend. I don't think it needs to. I think there's plenty of variety to be had within this subgenre, and I think a quiet pushing at the boundaries is frequently more effective than full-scale subverstion. But should that be the plan, it will take a lot of work; even with immense awareness of the path D&D sets forth it seems DMs - and players - tend to stay on it.

#i gotta make a separate like. website-based blog for shit like this i'm basically writing articles for free (which. they'd still be free) #cr tag #d20 tag #naddpod tag #wbn tag #i'd been thinking of this since fhjy got really into it and some joking around about c1 vs. c3 parallels motivated me to finally write it #anyway! hope you like it. #also i killed a very hilarious darling here expect a shitpost soon probably

[stone-stars]

Transcript:

[Unknown Tome plays in the background.] Bev Sr.: [yelling] I'll tell ya what to do, Bev. Ya turn around, and ya face Thiala. The one who took our home from us. Pick a side, Beverly. Beverly: [softly] ... Yes sir. Murph: Um, he holds his hand out to you. Caldwell: I start walking. Uh, and as I'm walking I-- I try to reach out to the spores. I try to reach out to the amulet. I just try to reach out to anything that isn't this. That isn't this duty. That I've always felt deep down. Murph: Who, what would you like to reach out to? Who or what would you like to reach out to. Caldwell: I would like to... use the lesson I've learned from Pelor [Murph: m-hm] to basically use Pelor as my satellite to bounce into my fungal network of friends. Murph: Great. Go ahead and make a religion check and we'll see if you'll be able to um-- between this religion check and Moonshine's newly formed fungal powers, we'll let you roll with advantage. Caldwell: [dice clicking in his hand] hoo boy. [dice roll] seventeen? Murph: Moonshine, you feel Beverly in this moment. [Moonshine gasps] Just-- it's faint, it's far away. I'll say with a seventeen, you can't get to Hardwon or Balnor, but you have a faint-- you have a faint connection to Moonshine. Beverly: [voice breaking] I don't want to go. I don't wanna go, but I have to. It's my duty. I have to do this! Moonshine: Okay, youngin, I want you to know, I will love you whatever you choose to do. But, here's my two cents. [Unknown Tome fades out.] Moonshine: A child has a duty to his father. But a hero has a duty to the world. [The Bahumia Theme fades in.] Moonshine: Now, I've got my opinion of which you are, but it's time for you to decide. Beverly: [tearful] Where would I be without the wisdom of the crick. [Moonshine gasps. They both laugh softly.] Moonshine: [also tearful] Where would I be without Pelor's light? Beverly: Deeper in hell than we already are, that's for sure. Moonshine: That's for sure. Caldwell: I nod to myself. I stop walking. Beverly: Dad... all I want is for you to be proud of me, and to be happy. That's why, throughout this whole journey, all I've done is just-- basically collect people that I thought were as cool as you. But... I can't go any further. If I join you, then my friends' fate is uncertain. And I have to stand with them because... they're the hammer that forges the light of Pelor into the sword that I wield. And without them I'm lost. Even more lost than you. I'm sorry. Bev Sr.: I'm sorry too, Bev. Murph: You see he draws his sword-- same sword he used that day.

beverly and moonshine's relationship i will never be normal about you <3

#naddpod #moment of all time i needed to have it on my blog #this is so self indulgent but god i love them. i love them so much. #naddclips

[operationslipperypuppet]

writing is hard bc i’m the one who has to come up with all these ideas but writing is also hard because a lot of these ideas keep being absolutely devastating and i’m still not done

#it’s a naddpod fic and that’s why this is going on this blog #also my pitch/broadstrokes idea for this one was truly so stupid and now i’ve almost cried 3 times. good shit.

[sideblogdotjpeg]

jaina bronzebeard......

#naddpod #jaina bronzebeard #posts by me dot com #shoutout to tumblrblog queermasculine i was looking through their blog for a vibe and ... well..... yessir i do be a butch appreciator

[quicklings]

i love when caldwell does that cartoon-ish double take when his characters aren't supposed to know something or they're slow on the uptake. he just hears this information & prepares & then he goes "wait whAAAAA--"

that man was made to play silly little guys with complicated do-gooder complexes.

#idk when this became a caldwell fan blog but relistening and 8bbc and drawfee and naddpod bonus materials #ig he has Gotten to me #naddpod #caldwell tanner #emspeak

[shadowsight]

I was gonna try and come up with warrior cat names for the naddpod heroes but realized that two of them have them built in: moonshine and surefoot already work as names lol

#moonshine cybin #hardwon surefoot #yelling about warriors #naddpod #I had to think about which blog to post this to lol I have a podcast sideblog

[rooolt]

I appreciate Brian ”Gay Wrongs” Murphy so much. like hes like yes ill help my wife portray thus beautiful lesbian relationship and illustrate an intricately woven teen romance in the middle of war but also the skeleton and the vampire had a messy divorce and jens lyndelle fucks for all the wrong reasons

#How many posts on this blog are me talking about how much I love Murph? #Too many #but he’s my favoritest guy #That’s what Jersey does to a mf #Naddpod #not another d&d podcast #not another dnd podcast #jens lyndelle

[purplecladmerchant]

I think I'm gonna do the shout out.

Hello!! Im frey!

I'm into naddpod and looking for new people to follow/approach/befriend in the Fandom, sine my blog has been inactive so long it need fresh meat.

I started by ba2mia (sue me. I stand by my choice) and made my way thru bahumia+specials, now re listening to C3 and in my way to trinyvale.

I will kill for Caldwell, I'm Calder's whole fucker, and I just have known Beverly for a month but if something happen to him I'll kill everyone in this room then myself.

I'm into a random variety of other stuff but for now I'm looking for mutuals or just people to follow no matter much.

#naddpod #bahumia #not another dnd podcast #not another d&d podcast #freya's adventures #am like 29 and my blog is the one of an adult so #that just a warning for anyone who wants to follow back #be safe outthere. #also ill kil for brenan lee mulligan but this is naddpod no d20(?) #cant believe they cant bring deadeye back to the grand finale like everyone else cuz he FUCKINF DIED #other also about me is i speak spanish #hablenme en español guacho

[isit-allover]

every few months a little goblin in my brain tells me to relisten to all of naddpod

#and who am i to refuse #naddpod #expect some weird live-blogging

[placeofwonder]

*this* close to making a fandom sideblog for all the silly little dnd shows that are providing 90% of my serotonin

edit: people are interacting with this post but not with the sideblog I did actually make, which is @hellooo-one-and-all so. hi come join me there, nerds

#i've never really had a fandom sideblog before #but the amount of time i spend thinking about these shows at the moment suggests i maybe should #lest i subject the lovely people who follow me on this blog to a flood of incomprehensible posts about people just sitting around a table #dimension 20 #naddpod #critical role #my brain has decided that the umbrella term for these should be the emily axford cinematic universe #also considering that cr was the first of these shows that i watched i really barely keep up with it these days... #but i am dming call of the netherdeep so i still spend a fair amount of time thinking about exandria #anyway yeah i guess once i come up with a good url we're doing this. why not #mine #personal

[islandoforder]

in absolute hysterics over the most recent ep of short rest where emily is like “weirdly murph, matt [mercer] was more chill than you” and murph is like “hUh WeIrD” and then em is like “but also weirdly i was a lot politer” and murph is like “CRAAAAAZYYYYYYYYY”

#emily axford #brian murphy #axmurph #matt mercer #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #short rest #critical role #podcast blogging

[bleachersgirl]

so obsessed with this guy.

#sorry for repeatedly posting 4 year old podcast clips but this blog is for me and just me so this is what you get #naddpod

[stone-stars]

Transcript:

Murph: --grumpy. Caldwell: There are three genders of dad. [Emily and Murph laugh]

#8 bit book club #8bbc #caldwell tanner #this one is like. a tiny little clip. i just needed #caldwell voice there are three genders of dad #on my blog lmao #8bbclips #naddpod

[operationslipperypuppet]

how does murph make such realistic seeming npcs who have already lived multiple lifetimes?

i mean jolene cybin, who has seen the world nearly destroyed multiple times, who lost children and siblings and friends time after fucking time, still having the ability to say shit like “we will not rain arrows down from our towers, we will always shine a light” when the crick is directly threatened??? holy shit dude

#if my blog can convince you of one thing it should be to listen to naddpod #because holy shit #naddpod #not another dnd podcast #brian murphy #jolene cybin #ba2mia