THE GAUNTLET

DISCERN REALITIES
​​A Dungeon World Podcast

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4/26/2018

Episode 58

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What happened here recently?
00:00:22 - Legerdemain 

What should I be on the lookout for?
00:11:47 - Heart Points Podcast and ChimaeraCast

What here is not what it appears to be  
00:17:48 - Riding the line between power gaming and playing to lose

What here is useful or valuable to me?
00:30:06 - Keepers of the Gauntlet contest results 

What is about to happen?
00:46:48 - The ongoing story of St. Evelyn the White 
00:47:54 - Bubbling flesh 
00:52:30 - A drastic measure 


Links
Heart Points Podcast
ChimaeraCast
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4/8/2018

Dungeon World Basics 02 - "Combat"

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The Basic Moves - Combat
00:01:46 - Hack & Slash
00:04:45 - Weapon tags
00:09:24 - Volley 
00:13:44 - Defend 

Managing a Combat in Dungeon World
00:16:40 - No turn order 
00:21:32 - Range 
00:23:43 - Multiple enemies 
00:25:00 - What counts as combat? 

00:27:02 - Breaking down the 16 HP Dragon 

Actual Play 
00:34:15 - Notes & recap 

00:36:13 - Ghoul
(Hack & Slash, Volley)

00:39:35 - Markings
(Discern Realities)

Links
The 16 HP Dragon 
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3/29/2018

Dungeon World Basics 01 - "What is Dungeon World? What Are Moves?"

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Discussion 
00:00:32 - Who are we?
00:02:09 - Why are we doing this?
00:05:32 - What is Dungeon World? 
00:09:12 - What is it like to play? 
00:11:16 - Moves

Actual Play
00:17:30 - Lucero Castafiel
(GM technique: Ask Lots of Questions)

00:23:05 - Brother Andrew
(GM technique: Ask Lots of Questions)

00:25:43 - Catacombs
(Discern Realities)

00:36:10 - “A nude, slick, hairless, white creature.”
(Hack & Slash)

Links
​Music: ”Volatile Reaction" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/        
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3/15/2018

Episode 57

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What happened here recently?
00:20:00 - Notes from a new campaign

What should I be on the lookout for?
00:12:50 - The conclusion of the Alford Soultaker AP

What here is not what it appears to be?
00:16:20 - Creating a play culture that embraces adversity 

What here is useful or valuable to me?
00:35:45 - The Omegatherion of Fasar

What is about to happen?
00:40:50 - The continuing story of St. Evelyn the White
00:42:19 - The rod
00:45:43 - Milk and bread
00:49:05 - Chandelier
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The Omegatherion of Fasar
by James Hardie

Fasar was a taxidermist, turning the hunts of the wealthy into impressive trophies to serve as proof of exaggerated skill. He gained success when he began crafting strange homunculous, impressive and sometimes horrifying creatures that never were, for nobles to impress the gullible.
But he learnt the difference between wealth and status when his son died at a nobles party, and none of his patrons would use their influence to help him get justice. Fasar fought, but after wasting all his money on his quest for justice, he succumbed to dark vengeance, and constructed a hideous construct, a pastiche of different monsters in the vague form of a man, which gained life from its creators boundless rage.
Now it stalks the nights, killing nobles and harvesting their pieces for unknown purposes.

OMEGATHERION

Solitary, Intelligent, Terrifying, Construct,
scalpel claws (d10 + 2 damage, + 1 piercing, Close);
19HP;  2 armor;

Instinct: to soak its stuffing with the blood of the rich

Special Qualities: The omegatherion does not heal normally, but can replace damaged parts with time and privacy. It can also change its body, attaching exotic creature parts to itself in any fashion it wants. When encountered it should have 1 or 2 additional special moves based on its current pieces (it’s fond of giant wings, but they wear out and aren’t easy to replace, so mostly its encountered grounded)

Moves:
•    appear/disappear into the shadows
•    Sever tendons

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2/26/2018

Episode 56

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What happened here recently?
00:00:27 - Gloomhaven 

What should I be on the lookout for?
00:12:13 - Codex is on DriveThru

What here is not what it appears to be?
00:13:50 - Recruit and Hirelings 

What here is useful or valuable to me?
00:23:55 - The Cloak of Logan Stormbreaker
00:28:15 - The Glossary of Blades 

What is about to happen? 
00:31:56 - The ongoing comic strip AP featuring the story of St. Evelyn the White
00:33:31 - Marlene
00:38:05 - Resolve
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Keeper of the Cloak of Logan Stormbreaker (by Danny Hood)

Logan was part of a small group of wizards that referred to themselves as Storm Mages. He loved chasing storms with his groundhog familiar and divining the future based on lightning strikes. His most favored possession was his cloak. When you don the Cloak of Logan Stormbreaker a groundhog will appear soon after and join you. When you decide to influence  the weather explain how the cloak allows that and roll + Wis.

10+: Choose a weather type from the table below.  Within a few minutes the weather type will center on you for a 1 mile radius for up to 24 hours.  When the weather effects have ended your groundhog will collapse near death.  You must nurse him back to health before you can use the cloak again.  If your groundhog dies the magic in the cloak will disappear.

7 - 9: Roll 1d8 two times and choose between the two weather types from the table below. Within a few hours the weather type will center on you for a half mile radius for up to the next 12 hours.  Your groundhog is weakened but will recover if you keep him safe.

6-: The GM determines which weather type centers on you for a 5 foot radius and for how long.  Your groundhog acts tired and wants a nap.

1. Lightning storm
2. Blinding blizzard
3. High winds
4. Scorching heat
5. Thick fog
6. Heavy rain
7. Pelting hail
8. Freezing cold

The Glossary of Blades  
by David Lombardo
Within the great Library Occulta is stored the Glossary of Blades. A great tome which includes depictions and descriptions of all weapons lost or forgotten. Buried between pages of simple swords and spears dropped by nameless soldiers in forgotten battles are descriptions of mythical weapons of legendary purpose, but only those whose locations are lost.

The Glossary of Blades allows each reader to draw a single lost blade from the pages of the book to claim as their own. Beware, the once lost weapons have a tendency to eventually return to the pages.

When you browse the Glossary of Blades for a weapon answer the following questions:
  • What is the legend of this weapon, what great task was it used to accomplish?
  • How does this weapon’s power threaten those it is used against? How does it threaten those who wield it?
  • What must someone do to prove they are worthy to wield this weapon?

As you withdraw the weapon from the Glossary and claim it as your own Roll+INT,
   On a 10+, the weapon is exactly as described in legends.
   On a 7-9, the Glossary neglected some details, the GM will tell you the true answer to one of the questions above.
   On a 6-, the GM will tell you of some dark secret hidden within this weapon. Perhaps it is sentient and malicious, it might require some personal cost to wield, or it may have unfinished business that is passed on to you. ​

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2/11/2018

Episode 55

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​What happened here recently? 
00:00:27 - When a player doesn’t like their playbook

What should I be on the lookout for? 
00:08:47 - Session Zero #5

What here is not what it appears to be? 
00:19:47 - Getting the most out of Make Camp and Take Watch
00:22:04 - Make Camp
00:27:57 - Take Watch

What here is useful or valuable to me? 
00:31:13 - The Weeping Cells
00:34:50 - The Revenant Chord

What is about to happen? 
00:40:06 - Our ongoing comic strip AP featuring the story of St. Evelyn the White
00:40:51 - The Beaten Barley
00:44:55 - A lament

Links
Session Zero #5
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Keepers of the Gauntlet Contest
Create a magic item, custom move, or monster inspired by the Keepers of the Gauntlet titles, which can be found here. More details:
  • You can submit as many entries as you wish.
  • 250 word limit for each entry.
  • Send to gauntletpodcast@gmail.com or post in the comments of a Discern Realities post on G+. 
  • Deadline for submissions is March 1st, 2018. 
  • Winner receives $25 and will be invited to co-host an episode of the show. Up to two runners-up will each win $25. ​

Weeping Cells 
by James Hardie

The men of the north claim the world was made from the corpse of a giant, killed treacherously by his divine children who wanted a new world to adventure upon. Others scoff at the story, but those outlanders who’ve seen the Weeping Cells sometimes wonder if the story is not so implausible after all.
In a cave high on mount vallithorn overlooking the great city that took its name, miners found that under a thin layer of rock was thick bone, around an enormous empty cavern. They have unearthed a hole in this structure which they attest to be an eyesocket of the giant’s skull. The energy inside the “skull” made climbing down to explore it impossible, but they found a use for it. They built an iron cage which, with stout chains and winches could lower a prisoner into the void. Anyone in the cell is overwhelmed with sorrow, pain and betrayal, as the remnants of the creatures feelings are far too big for a tiny human to withstand. It makes for an impressive interrogation/torture technique.

If you’ve convinced the priests who guard the cave to let you utilize it (or found the other eyehole somewhere on the far side of the mountain) lower your prisoner and roll +WIS.
On a 10+ they spill, answering every question you have as honestly as they are able.
On a 7-9 they also answer, but their time inside is still overwhelming them, making them distant and their answers short and muddled.

Revenant Chord
by Blake Ryan

Revenant Chord is a nefarious piece of music that must be played on a harp during winter solstice with hands wet with blood from 6 different creatures. Bards and Necromancers whisper about the existence of this piece of music, and some claim to have heard a piece of it and been struck dumb with its power.

If you play the chord, roll+Charisma
10+ = Pick one, no retaliation.
7-9 = Pick one, but once finishing their task they come for you.
- D6 Morhg will undertake 1 task that is 13 days or less to complete.
- 2D6 Draugr will undertake 1 task that is 13 days or less to complete.
- 4D6 Zombies will undertake 1 task that is 13 days or less to complete.
6- = The music deems you unworthy, choose which hand is devoured by your harp.

​

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1/25/2018

Episode 54

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​What happened here recently? 
00:26 - New campaign DW campaign–with pirates! 

What should I be on the lookout for? 
06:23 - Overview
07:23 - The Adventure Builder starter
10:01 - Discern Realities one-sheet starter

What here is not what it appears to be? 
13:07 - Mission-oriented Dungeon World
16:17 - Bolster

What here is useful or valuable to me? 
21:35 - The Knight of Mums
24:41 - Keeper of the Blood of Lursiss

What is about to happen? 
29:30 - Our ongoing comic strip AP featuring the story of St. Evelyn the White
31:00 - Rations 
34:40 - The Mad Saint 

Links
Adventure Builder by John Lewis
​Discern Realities by Dirk Leichty
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Keepers of the Gauntlet Contest
Create a magic item, custom move, or monster inspired by the Keepers of the Gauntlet titles, which can be found here. More details:
  • You can submit as many entries as you wish.
  • 250 word limit for each entry.
  • Send to gauntletpodcast@gmail.com or post in the comments of a Discern Realities post on G+. 
  • Deadline for submissions is March 1st, 2018. 
  • Winner receives $25 and will be invited to co-host an episode of the show. Up to two runners-up will each win $25. 

Knight of Mums
by Greg Gelder
On the morning of the third week, after the first leaves turn, the people of the eastern valley hold the harvest of the mums. The bright, rainbow colored flowers are gathered in large canvas bags and brought to the festival scaffold. There, the spry and able ascend and descend the wire knight form on patterned silks, weaving flowers as they go. When the light wanes the evenings drinking of mead and other honeyed liquors begin. When, at last, the valley people retire for the evening the Knight of Mums awakens.
Until the first snowfall, this un-sleeping golem can not die and protects the valley from all who would come to take the final harvests. The same wire lattice is used each year.

Knight of Mums
Solitary, Huge, Construct, Magical
Honeyed Blade d10+3 reach, forceful
20 HP 4 Armor
Instinct: To Protect the Innocent
- Produce a cloud of choking pollen
- Heal or re-animate through water and sun
- Shape and twist the wind


Keeper of the Blood of Lursiss
​by James Hardie

​The Legendary Druid Lursiss, concerned that his war to ensure the primacy of the wild and destroy the empires of men would take longer than one lifetime concocted a way to continue his war beyond his years. He did not choose the path of undeath, but instead constructed grim altars deep within the woods wherein he performed a ritual to bind his will to his bloodline, allowing his soul to possess his progeny upon his death. He needed to repeat the process with each new body, so Lursiss’ grim altars can be found in several dark corners of the world, and while his ritual is believed to have died with him his altars can be used by those seeking the reverse effect- seperation from ones forbears. The ritual of unbirth is decidedly unpleasant - it begins with a bath of raw eggs, and gets far worse before it gets better. When finished the ritual leader (who may or may not be the target doing this to himself) rolls +CHA. On a hit the target is mystically severed from his ancestors- Free from any ancestral curses or boons, any strange legacies or even mundane responsibilities. All memories anyone has that connects him to his family is altered, save only the memories of the ritualist(s), and on a 10+ all written records that had mentioned the targets connection to his family are also altered. The target becomes someone with no origin or past.

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1/11/2018

Episode 53

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What happened here recently?
Reflecting on the We Hunt the Keepers! campaign (00:23)

What should I be on the lookout for?
Plundergrounds #5 (16:15)

What here is not what it appears to be? 
Missed rolls on Cast a Spell (21:34)
Cast a Spell: Wizard (28:32)
Cast a Spell: Cleric (32:48)

What here is useful or valuable to me? 
The Orphan’s Kiss (37:22)
The Joyous Pit (40:55)

What is about to happen? 
Our ongoing Comic Strip AP featuring the story of St. Evelyn the White (44:44)
Hamich (45:29)
Spout Lore (49:19)

Notes
Music: Hammer and Damper by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Blue_Nocturnal/Hammer_and_Damper
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Keeper of the Orphan’s Kiss
by Danny Hood

When you stumble upon the skeletal remains of a child you find a teddy bear, old and worn but still in good shape, clutched in the child’s arms.  When you touch the bear roll + CHA

6-:  The spirit of the child takes residence in your body.  You will sometimes struggle with the child as it attempts to take control of you.  When you are presented with a scene or situation that the GM feels a child would want to ‘investigate’ and you accept then take XP.

7 - 9:  The spirit of the child takes residence in your backpack.  You begin to notice that your things are missing at inopportune times.  The child has no malice but it likes to go through your stuff and play with it and sometimes things don’t get put back.  The GM will tell you what and when.

10+:  The spirit of the child begins following you around.  The child likes to ask a lot of questions.  A stern ‘Don’t make me get up’ or ‘I am counting to three…’ will usually quiet it down.

When you appear at the Black Gate you see a green field full of kids rollicking and playing games.  Death is striding toward you with her arms open wide.  You feel something brush past your leg and a small translucent child runs to Death and jumps in her arms and kisses her on the cheek.  Death thanks you and gives you a reprieve… until next time.

THE JOYOUS PIT by Logan Howard. On mossy forest floors, the Mouth of Elysium waits for large mammals to feed upon. If anything worth eating walks over it, a wide but shallow pit will open. The creature that falls in will find itself in the grip of dozens of long wet tongues. Each one is covered in a potent chemical that overwhelms the victim with sensations of pleasure and joy. The ends of the tongues are razor sharp and will begin to dismantle the delighted prey. When you fall into the Mouth of Elysium, roll+CON. 10+, you resist the toxin and climb out unharmed. Describe what it felt like and how you were able to overcome the pleasure tongues. 7-9, you hesitate before climbing out. Describe the delights that held you in thrall. The GM will will tell you what is missing from your body by the time you escape.

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12/16/2017

Episode 52

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What happened here recently?
Funnel World at Gauntlet Con 2017 (00:27)

What should I be on the lookout for?
Sword Breaker #5 (10:05)

What here is not what it appears to be?
Traps (17:53)

What here is useful or valuable to me?
New contest announcement (33:52)
The Horn of Nammu (36:37)
Old King Myrmiron (37:35)

What is about to happen?
Our ongoing comic strip AP featuring the story of St. Evelyn the White (40:49)
Discern Realities (42:30)
“God damn it!” (46:32)

Links
List of Keeper titles
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Old King Myrmiron
Solitary, Devious, Intelligent, Planar
Jellyfish claws (d10 damage)
16 HP
0 armor
Old King Myrmiron was a triton king from the ancient past; a schemer who consorted with dark gods imprisoned in the deepest parts of the ocean. His people eventually grew weary of his heretical wickedness and beheaded him. But like many ancient kings, his spirit is bound to the physical world, and can never truly be destroyed, only contained. Now a vengeful revenant, he occasionally gathers enough strength to be a menace to the peaceful people of the world, and great heroes must step forward to subdue and imprison him anew. Old King Myrmiron appears as a headless triton wearing long kelp robes festooned with pearls. He has a pair of large jellyfish on his claw-like hands. His favorite tactic in combat is to transport his enemies to a small, undersea pocket dimension that resembles his coral throne room from the Days of Old. Though victims can swim to the surface of this tiny ocean, which leads to wherever he was originally encountered, it allows him to summon dangerous sea creatures to aid him in battle (which often appear by wriggling out of the gaping hole between his shoulders).
Instinct: To escape his prison
  • Summon sharks and eels.
  • Paralyze foe.
Create an oceanic pocket dimension.

Horn of Nammu
This horn appears to be made from a large, pink and silver conch shell.
When you are facing down certain death and you blow the horn, roll +CHA. *On a 10+, the power of the ancient sea will rescue you from the danger. *On a 7-9, the power of the ancient sea will assist you in escaping the danger, but will not rescue you outright. *On a 6-, the ancient sea finds you wanting. The GM may hold 1 and spend it to bring down the wrath of the primordial ocean upon you.


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9/26/2017

Episode 51

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What happened here recently?
Isabella & Logan (00:23)

What should I be on the lookout for?
The Dungeon World Newsletter (07:40)
First Session Cheat Sheet Cards (09:14)

What here is not what it appears to be?
The Heirloom move (12:45)

What here is useful or valuable to me? 
The Lube Cube (25:57)

What is about to happen? 
An ongoing comic strip AP telling the story of St. Evelyn the White (32:32)
“We have captured one of them” (33:37)
The stitched (34:52)
The crowd (37:40)
Lead the Flock (39:50)

Links
Gauntlet Con Writing Contest

Dungeon World Newsletter

First Session Cheat Sheet Cards

Our Sponsor

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    iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/discern-realities/id1066446775
    RSS: http://discernrealities.libsyn.com/rss

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    Discern Realities is hosted by Jason Cordova & David LaFreniere. The producer is Paul Edson. 

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