You can watch the entire thing on YouTube still, but our patrons requested an audio podcast form, and because we’ll do anything for our patrons, here it is! It is presented in all its original unmastered glory, which is to say, full of technical problems as we figured out how to run our first live stream ever. The first three episodes definitely have some reverb problems, sorry about that, but if you can make it through them, we promise starting with episode 4 it gets much better.

Without further ado, here is the audio:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6
• Episode 7
• Episode 8
• Episode 9
• Episode 10
• Episode 11

The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands. I… speak… slowly… when talking… to idiots… which… almost… everyone… is… compared… to me.

Strilugg’s Draconic-descended blood is a powerful font of magic. Hatched into Clan Pedalithini at a time when its strength was waxing, he was recognized at an early age as near the zenith of their ages-old ancestry. Guided by his beloved grand-matron Shriandreix, he quickly learned to tap into, shape, and guide his power. Shortly before her passing, Shriandreix passed on an ancient tome of potentially evil knowledge in an unknown language to Strilugg, covered in reptilian skin, and reputed to be from another world. He swore he would guard it with his life, and to this day, it has never left his person — yet he pursues some means of unlocking its secrets and bending them to his irresistible will.

As a Dragonborn Sorcerer, descended from a line of Blue dragons, Strilugg has access to a fairly large number of mostly electrical-based magics. He can breath lightning, has electrical resistance, and adds extra damage to lightning-type spells. He can cast lightning bolts, a shocking grasp, chromatic orbs, dancing lights, a misty step, and more. He can push himself to Empower and Heighten his spells to even greater than normal effect, if desired. He has deduced that one of the pages in the nefarious book is a Scroll of Water Breathing, which he can tear out and cast on himself and his teammates if the occasion demands it.

Lvl 6 | Dragonborn | Sorcerer / Draconic Bloodline

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I’m used to helping out those who aren’t as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others. It is my duty to protect my students. Most people scream and run when they see a demon; I stop and take notes on its anatomy.

Avys the Unerring is the Dean of Magic at the School of Evocation in Greater Kluchester-by-the-Sea. She achieved her Dignification of Prophecy at the youngest age of anyone at the school, and quickly became a successful faculty member, creating scrolls of several novel spells. She is fiercely protective of her students and school, although some say she is something of a micro-manager, dictating exacting parameters of performance down to the number of vanes on one’s quill. When a quest seems important or educational, she marches forth with a band of adventurers she knows well. According to her prodigious memory, she’s never been wrong about anything in her life.

As a Wizard of the School of Evocation, Avys is certainly the most potent offensive spellcaster on The Big Bad team roster. She has lengthy spellbook, including access to the magics of fireball, haste, fly, web, acid arrow… well, she can hold more in her head than we can fit in this space. With the highest Intelligence (and almost Wisdom) on the roster, she’s often takes a leadership role for the team. She can Sculpt Spells with offensive magic to pinpoint her enemies with laser-like accuracy. And she carries a Wand of Magic Missiles that, like her, never misses its target.

Lvl 6 | Human | Wizard / School of Evocation

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I judge people by their actions, not their words. I have a strong sense of fair play and always try to find the most equitable solution to arguments. I’m convinced of the significance of my destiny, and blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure.

Rakner is known as the “Evenhanded” for both his unswerving commitment to fair play for all, as well as his amazing ambidextrous mastery of dueling and swordplay. From his earliest years he was a dedicated adherent to the holy god of Law, and has followed the narrow, difficult, isolated path laid out by that power. Many chaotic and evil opponents have begun by laughing at his small stature, and shortly came to regret their mocking laughter. Hailed as a folk hero in his homeland, he sadly had to choose between true love and duty, leaving a broken heart behind to continue his crusade in a world of cruel giants.

In an unusual career choice for for a Rock Gnome, Rakner is a traditional Lawful Good Paladin, following the Oath of Devotion. He’s trained in the special Dueling fighting style, with bonuses to his longsword fighting, and making double attacks each round. Like many paladins, he has divine senses, can lay on hands to heal, divine smite, turn the unholy, and imbue his sword with sacred energy. He also has the gnomish darkvision and cunning which further boost his saving throws against magic. Plus, outfit in his gleaming Adamantine Armor, he suffers no critical hits, making him unexpectedly one of the stoutest fighters in The Big Bad team roster.

Lvl 6 | Gnome | Paladin / Oath of Devotion

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The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong. An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed; I’m okay with that.

Kynnsha is a libertine and lover of freedom in its purest form — for herself above all, and others as is reasonably feasible. At a young age shunned by “normal” human society, she likes to think she has outgrown caring what others think of her (or at least one person has heard her say so). She has worked as a spy, a thief, and a double-agent for whichever great power could pay her the most in a given season. She is at home stalking in the darkness of night and nestled corridors.

Kynnsha’s forte is her variegated list of expert skills, inclusing: stealth, acrobatics, deception, perception, persuasion, intimidation, and more. She can create magical darkness, and these boots are made for stalkin’: Boots of Elvenkind give her advantage on stealth checks to move silently. She fights with a shortsword in each hand, and woe betide any target she catches with a sneak attack or her special assassination ability. Her ability to hide, dash, disengage, and dodge at will makes her particularly hard to nail down by an enemy.

Lvl 6 | Tiefling | Rogue / Assassin

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I’m confident in my own abilities and do what I can to instill confidence in others. People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.

Turpin Bravebow returned from his first season of exploring the wilds to find his home shire razed and overtaken by an evil wizard, Onaxx the Imperious, and his mixed band of bugbears and charmed displacer beasts. At first, Turpin was captured, horribly abused, and left for dead. But Turpin recovered with the help of faerie magic, and returned to lead a guerrilla war from the woods and marshes. He even pursued Onaxx into the Underdark itself, where rumor has it he brought ruin to certain arcane conspirators who dwell in the depths below.

Turpin is a halfling ranger following the Hunter archetype. He has the highest Dexterity among the entire PC team of The Big Bad, and is optimized for deadly missile combat with his shortbow and magical Bracers of Archery. He normally makes three shots per round with his Horde Breaker ability (assuming multiple targets in close proximity). He has high levels of training in skills like stealth, survival, nature, and animal handling. With his special knowledge of exploring both Forest and Underdark environments, and favored enemy against Monstrosities, he’s likely to be a key and committed player in any underground rescue mission.

Lvl 6 | Halfling | Ranger / Hunter

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Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want. I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others.

Tornarax is the most outright sinister of the team members on The Big Bad, having joined the group for a narrowly-defined purpose of his own; to achieve such wealth and power as to return to his homeland and overthrow the usurper king. He is a devotee of Belial, the rich, cunning, and silver-tongued dark lord of those who vaingloriously reign in courts and palaces (he who rules in the Fourth Circle of Hell). He carries with him the one item saved from his family’s heritage, his mother’s priceless magic broom.

As a tiefling warlock, Tornarax’s main contribution to the party is a wide variety of the most arcane magical effects, including darkness, fear, curses, illusions, eldritch blasts, and the hellish rebuke. His pact with Belial allows him to conjure a magical blade at will, and if he strikes down an enemy with it, draw strength from their demise. His broom of flying gives him the capacity for air supremacy on a large battlefield, surveilling and raining down magic attacks from above. That said, if he can win victory through deception and intimidation, without his target putting up any resistance at all, then that is the outcome he prefers above all.

Lvl 6 | Tiefling | Warlock / The Fiend

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I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster. My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy. Now that I’ve returned to the world, I enjoy its delights a little too much.

Ursula is a human druid, a follower of the Circle of the Mountain Lands, who spent so many years in solitude near the top of the world, in so many different animal forms, that they started to become hazy on exactly what their true form was anymore. In exchange, listening with feet and hands on the whispering mountaintops, one thing became crystal-clear; some tremendous, eldritch horror was gnawing, far below, on the roots of the earth. Ursula expects to be the one who finds it and stops it.

Ursula is hard to shake, with hit points in the top 3 of all The Big Bad player characters. The druid’s spell powers are immense, commonly melding into stone, casting sleet storms and lightning bolts, spider-climbing up walls, and the like. Naturally difficult terrain or plants are never an obstacle. The staff Ursula carries is magical, a Staff of the Python which can turn into a giant constrictor snake to inescapably constrain their enemies. Their favorite Wild Shape forms are an ape, bear, panther, and crocodile.

Lvl 6 | Human | Druid / Circle of the Land (Mountain)

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I don’t run from evil; evil runs from me. I like to know my enemy’s capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. I have certain rituals that I must follow every day; I can never break them.

Hadraad is an outcast from the Broken Bone tribe of orcs, where he was considered too dangerous by his fellow tribesmen. He literally pounded down the door of a nearby monastery, whose monks responded by taking him in and training him in their esoteric discipline, the Way of the Open Hand. Hadraad become their greatest hope, but the eldest of monks worries, will even his towering talents be sufficient for the tests yet to come?

Hadraad is one of the most well-rounded characters in The Big Bad; every one of his physical ability scores earns a +2 bonus, and his Wisdom exceeds even those. He has the highest movement rate of anyone on the team, and with the monkish Step of the Wind, his capacity to parkour around a battlefield and target the enemies’ weakest points is unparalleled. With his special unarmored defense, his armor class and hit points are above-average; and he’s optimized for powerful stunning strikes to immobilize opponents with a single blow. His arm-wrappings are inscribed with magical runes to serve as Gloves of Swimming and Climbing, so no moat or tower has ever kept him from a goal.

Lvl 6 | Half-Orc | Monk / Way of the Open Hand

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I idolize a particular hero of my faith, and constantly refer to that person’s deeds and example. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely.

Faelar is a high elven cleric of the war domain, an adherent of the ancient elven Sun-Saint, Myrdin Fanan. That worthy demigod was known for bringing lightness and justice wherever they went, always holding weal for all peoples as the highest principle, at turns breaking chains and shattering the tablets of men’s cruelest laws. Faelar has spent five centuries pursuing this difficult path of righteousness, and is still as unwavering in his commitment as his first day as an elven acolyte.

“The Fearless” is always well-protected in shining steel, garbed in chain mail, with a very large shield and helmet; he has the second-highest armor class of any of The Big Bad characters. As an elf, his vision pierces the darkness and he can’t be charmed and never sleeps. Both he and his close allies make crushing attacks due to the good war god’s blessing. His prepared spells are customarily a mix of healing, light-casting, and magical weaponry. Finally, his huge war-spear functions as a Javelin of Lighting for when a final judgement must be delivered.

Lvl 6 | Elf | Cleric / War Domain

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I get bitter if I’m not the center of attention. When I perform, I make the world better than it was. A scandal prevents me from ever going home again; that kind of trouble seems to follow me around.

Issaglyn is a half-elven bard following the College of Lore. A true entertainer, utterly committed to her craft, her spirit blazes when she gets to perform her ancient songs in great gatherings, and grows somewhat darker when forced to skulk in the shadows. She is known to be a friend to beasts and animals.

Issa (as some confidants call her) is a well-rounded adventurer, highly skilled in perception, deception, persuasion, sleight of hand, and many other tricks. She has a variety a spells to assist her teammates. Unusually for a bard, she carries a huge two-handed sword for when a scene gets ugly, as well as a magical Doss Lute whose venerable strings let her turn invisible, fly, and protect herself from various evil powers. Issaglyn is ready to break hearts and crack heads as needed to protect her friends.

Lvl 6 | Half-Elf | Bard / College of Lore

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I’ll settle for nothing less than perfection. The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. I’ll do anything to win fame and renown.

Kayem the Vanquisher is one of three humans in The Big Bad roster: a barbarian following the primal path of the berserker. Having made his initial fame and fortune in the gladiatorial arena, he is recognized far and wide, wherever his waggish exploits take him.

Kayem has the second-highest hit points and move rate on the team, so he can maneuver around a battlefield quickly, get through a hail of fire, and dish out the big damage on the other end. Without armor, he depends on his special defense to avoid attacks; his Strength, Dex, and Con saves almost can’t be beat; and while raging and frenzying he can get 3 attacks per round, plus resistance to most types of attacks. In addition to his huge, magical greataxe, he carries a small armory unto himself, as well as a array of support tools that might surprise enemies expecting a one-dimensional brawler.

Lvl 6 | Human | Barbarian / Path of the Berserker

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I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

Gradenia Bronzebelt is a hill dwarf fighter using the champion martial archetype. Our most straight-forward character in The Big Bad, Gradenia’s tactics are simple: face down the enemy without wavering. She has the highest AC and the most hit points of all the characters on our roster, so she’s got the stats to back it up.

Gradenia benefits from some extra hit points via the dwarven toughness trait and her armor class has been increased by taking the defense fighting style. But she’s not just there to soak up the damage, she can dish it out as well. Her magic +1 warhammer will break through damage resistant enemies, and she keeps both a hand axe and a dagger ready as backups, because when asked whether she’d like to deal bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage, she replied “yes, please.”

Lvl 6 | Dwarf | Fighter / Champion

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