DUNGEONS OF DRAKKENHEIM is coming to Kickstarter in 2021! We’re partnering with Ghostfire Games to publish the complete adventure for Fifth Edition. Sign up at www.drakkenheim.com to get the latest updates!
Due to the streaming issues this week, we decided to thank our fans and post our episode a day early for everyone’s enjoyment! We have taken measures to hopefully not have any further issues.
So, I just noticed something about these guys, and it is something I wish everyone I played with did: They know their abilities. I can’t count how many times my group has had to explain to players how sneak attack works, how flurry of blows works, what their spells do, what action surge does, etc., etc... It is SO refreshing to watch people play D&D and NOT have to stop every encounter, and bring the story to a grinding halt, to figure out what they can or can’t do, or how they can do it. Thank you again, Dungeon Dudes, for being exemplars of good RPG etiquette!
EXACTLY!! It is simply not entertaining to watch people flip through Players handbooks. And when I am watching The Dungeons of Drakkenheim I know I am going to watch an entertaining show! I have watched several other groups play and it is so painful to watch the immersion melt away as someone can't figure out how far they can throw a spell or if they have advantage against an enemy and have to stop and look something up! Kudos to these guys for KNOWING THE RULES of the game.
As a player and a new one at that I make sure I learn all of my characters abilities by heart before the session it just makes things easier for gameplay...I've only played 4 sessions and Ive learnt 2 characters....due to an unfortunate incident involving our sorcerer blowing up a room full of pitch with a fireball before I could make it out...
Yes, thats is wonderful. Another detail I love is that they are not bound by gthe rule book, if there are something they dont remember Monty only said "I will allow it, but next time might not work" instead of stoping the flow and look for the rules.
I thought that... Especially when Joe turned to Kelly when he was casting Thunderstep and said 'aren't they supposed to be d10s?' Not only knowing his powers, but paying enough attention to know the others too.
Sebastian: We have a day right? Virgil: You’ll be lucky to get an hour. Sebastian (no spell slots left): Um, I can shoot 1 bolt of fire every 6 seconds if you need help.
I absolutely LOVE the way Monty has crafted the Amethyst Academy. River is such a fascinating agent for them, she's a master of deflection and redirection.
That said, they're definitely super scummy. "We have to make it look like the city is hopeless to everyone but us". What a load of hogwash. Do the good that you can, then deal with the next problem when it arises. The Academy is so focused on being the ultimate winner in Drakkenheim that they've failed their responsibility to their fellow man to help them, given the gifts that they have.
Eithne21 I have kids and I didn't get to play for a long time. This year my kids asked for DnD books for Christmas. Since we have played for hundreds of hours. Now they have 19th lvl characters cleric, rouge, sorceress, ranger and 8th lvl rouge characters. It has been so much fun they want to play all the time. In fact I'm drawing up a dungeon as I watch this ( trying to get the right challenge for 19th lvl PCs). I am a bit jealous though in all the years I have played I have never had a character past lvl 16. I need to say thank you to the Dungeon Dudes! they have helped me a lot learning how to go from playing as a PC to DM. 😺
@@hyserbomb I have started to DM for my eldest (8 years old) and it's a lot of fun, he's learned a lot about math, geometry (go dice!), and how to tell a story; but my youngest cant yet count or read and he grows bored quickly, even when we let him roll the dice for us (and damn is he lucky!) waiting til he's old enough to play too ^^
Monte does such a good job of making compelling arguments for his factions. And his NPCs clearly reflect the belief that they are right. Makes of an awesome political backdrop, and difficult decisions.
Yeah, except for the spike in heart people who were just too weird, I've been seeing myself agreeing somewhat with whichever leader of factions was the last speaking. They mostly all make decent points. :)
@@zTom_ Late to the party but hey and Well their Leader did do very well (in terms of interacting with them in the world since well he did hit all the weak spots for Sebastion) and they are supposed to be Religious Fanatics so i found their behavior to be quite fitting
Great session! And the consequences of each decision begins rolling in! So cool to see the story threads finally coming together. Monty made an interesting choice of words at the end of today's session that he may have said before but I only picked up on it this particular episode. He thanked each of the members of the CAST. I point this out because I think it's a really important distinction between this particular Dungeons & Dragons session and some of the others that you can watch on TH-cam and twitch. I have read many comments from people who appreciate the fact that this show runs so smoothly. The players know the rules of the game and the dungeon master is intimately familiar with both the rules and the capabilities of the NPC's and Monsters. It makes for much more entertaining watching as many others have pointed out, and I agree! A lot of the Dungeon Masters and Players are seeing themselves as just Dungeon Masters and Players, but I believe Monty looks at his players as 'PLAYERS' in the theater sense. I think that is a huge paradigm shift from these other shows! As a dungeon master myself I really appreciate how smooth this show runs and just want to give yet another thank you to Monte and the cast and crew!
When at 56:24 Sebastian threw "cat Veo" at the blue crone, I couldn't help, but think of the Crazy Cat Lady from the Simpsons! Who would have ever thought that a DnD game could include an episode of cat weaponisation? :D
"What's that tiny amphibian?" "That's my newt... It got better." I love how Sebastian keeps on pushing for his own safety and comfort, even when others are willing to sacrifice themselves with much less than Sebastian has even at his lowest ebb. So River is trying to build Genosha in Drakkenheim.
It was a great show (and how many funny moments, oh, pure joy)! My favorite part was when Monty 'customized' the fireball - it was awesome! A word joke: Pluto has a 'bagbear' now. ;) River's monologue at the end was also very effective, I think as DM it was not easy to tell the statement of the Amethyst Academy. Well done, thank you to all of you to provide a very enjoyable show to us!
This episode had a great flow! Seems like DM and players are all finding their groove in drakkenheim and at the table. Your content gets better and better guys keep it up!
"Am I proficient in throwing cats?" "Well you're kinda good at hurting Cats so go for it". That was excellent Monty, I feel like that flew massively under the radar.
Theory: the lord of feast himself was going to mount an attack to regain the gate, with magic teleporting inside with the remaining hags for a showdown. By fleeing from the gate, drakenforce actually avoided that potential deadly encounter. But that left the door open for the Amethyst Academy working with the queen of thieves and next week the bomb goes off at the gate, irrevocably depleting both the hooded lanterns and the paladins, paving the way for the academy to rule.
I don't know how they held it together with how quickly everyone answered Virgil (Monty) asking them: Virgil: Is there anything you need to soothe you? Veo: Milk Seb: Tea Pluto: a song. Crack timing and hilarious!
I love using Hag covens! Used them on my players...my paladin player cut up my night hag up like a rotisserie chicken. How can Sebastian, Veoh and Pluto even know this is actually River? I think the Insight skill gets overlooked a lot. Not just this game, but in general.
Crit Role uses it a ton - but I agree, it's often neglected... either thought of as being ineffectual (it's totally not! It can totally change the outcomes of tense negotiations and the like!) or not even remembered in the first place.
Monty has the perfect Southern Drawl for the Paladins. This show is so much better than the rest. Dungeon Cast is a close second but even they put a little too much real world stuff into their fantasy play.
I finally get to sit down and watch this... and apparently I'll have some time to watch the rest of the episodes since my workplace is closed until April 6th (I guess they decided to go with how long the schools would be closed). Those undead knolls seem easy to kill... Veo is having 1st shot issues... Crones suck... so evil with their spells on the party :( Kitty Veo Crit! Nice :) Smashy smash Pluto. Sebastian and his exaggeration of his wounds. lol The heroes of Drakkenheim - Such an amusing group. I've been wondering if that helmet gets warm.
Well, they also have a minotaur, a ncromancer, a T-Rex, an entire cult of ratpeople, an executioner robot thing, a tribe of fishpeople, some weird plants in the park and likely several other things leftover from their previous episodes. And I'm totally looking forward to seeing all of that coming back to bite them in the - you know where - due to Monti being a DM who wouldn't forget about that stuff.
@@achimsinn7782to make things even worse, an entire cult of rat people who have just been told to go live in an abandoned necromancer’s house with said necromancer floating in the wind and a possessed statue of a demon still standing in the house
I am really enjoying Dungeons of Drakkenheim. I really hope you can cure the Queen and save Drakkenheim. I know your worst nemesis has been locked doors, so good luck opening these portcullis.
Drakkenheim!!! Thanks for the early upload. (Extra lemon squares for Clayton this week!) Can’t wait to see more of the battle, it’s been fantastic so far!
I realise it's just a dialectic thing but Pluto being pronounced as Pahlootoe by Monty and nobody else is still the funniest shit to me, along with 'pattarans' (patterns). Thanks for the great show, guys. I'm late to the party but enjoying this.
Love the show! Keep up the good work as an amazing show! and spoilers I am actually glad that they ruined the potions and scrolls so they won’t forget them again! RIP scrolls of mage armor, gaseous form and lightning bolt
The polymorph spell states that only the abilities of the creature can be used. However sentinel does allow attacks of opportunity within the players reach when not polymorphed.
i can just picture montys smile being on who wants to be a millionaire and the question "what is a strong, heavy grating that can be lowered down grooves on each side of a gateway to block it?"
Do they not realize that they can use Pluto's nephew and sister (the next ones in line to the throne) as reassurance to protect the Amethyst Academy. This could bring them to the table.
I hope you remember to sell that delerium to River. "I don't think we can ally with the academy under your conditions. Also, want to buy some Delerium?" Also what about Huck? You left him at the gate. Is he ok? Or did he go down like a hero?
You should tell River about the hooded lanterns interest in the academy help.Why it would make a nice wedge to claim the academy necessity in the recovery of the city.Than tell the queen money is not the only pay the academy trades in hurry she's almost out of remedy.
That shrapnel fireball acid bomb was worth the destroyed literature... hopefully! Getting with for one damage and failing concentration is just the best thing ever. I managed keep my Hunter's Mark on for a really long time during a big fight, took one falling damage during it, concentration gone! Do you guys use Inspiration during your game sessions? What do you think about the mechanic itself?
I was totally floored by that chain of events. The dice make strange things happen! I think the inspiration mechanic is a decent one, but honestly -- I just *forget* to use it since it is such a tacked-on rule. However, we talked about how we might make better use of it here: th-cam.com/video/bSmsjRT06gA/w-d-xo.html
I actually rather like how the Amethyst guys come off as rather villainous by now, well-intentioned or otherwise. Even their intentions are suspect, with how they're already using delirium to produce WMDs and now seek to keep everyone else away from the source. I was never fond of the "mighty mages are actually oppressed and persecuted victims" trope so it's actually really refreshing to not see the "poor special snowflakes with world-altering powers are the downtrodden" card played straight, and instead seeing the organization claiming to represent their interests being the most sinister, shadowy, hostile and egocentric, sneering at everyone else and ready to destroy all the rest in order to prop themselves up a little bit. Even the Queen of Thieves, for all her dark manipulation and her seeming "no gods no masters" ethos, feels friendlier than the Amethysts. Great to see the crew lay down a well-executed verbal smackdown onto the Amethyst spiel and question their sociopathy instead of blindly buying into it - it doesn't matter how possibly heroic the inner secret intentions of some Amethyst guys could be, the crew just reacts to what they're faced with and that's the great and important thing. Only issue I have with how the Amethyst has been introduced over the previous sessions is how it was not clear what their status as a faction was - maybe it was to players, which would make it better, but it wasn't to the viewer (and that's ultimately fine, 'long as players know). At first it seemed to me like the Amethysts were only Drakkenheim's mage guild, and were mostly vestigial and in a remnant state and trying to take their former holdings back that they lost with the city. Then it turns out they actually are a world-spanning franchise bordering on corporate superpower/magic monopoly status, with chapters and affiliates in every land, and Drakkenheim was merely a small setback for them that they are now reaping the upsides of. It puts them and their activities in a very different light - with that sort of structure, it would be easy to believe they called down the meteor on the city in order to profit from its harvesting Darkest Dungeon: Color of Madness style. Perhaps that is the intention and the appearance is false - which is, of course, a great idea in itself too. But what I mean is that it would've been nice to know they were actually a huge world-spanning organization instead of the local city mage guild from the start. Great battle sequence, though. Wonderful work both by the players knowing their stuff and taking clever opportunities, and the DM allowing for it and being able to both keep up with the ploys and provide a good serving of combat to this wily party. Made the PC crew feel important to the battle without having them be the walking meat grinder or taking over absolutely everything - the holding of the gate by NPCs after they retired to recover was a good touch, it would've felt boring in an "only PCs can do things, NPCs have no agency" way if the gnolls took the gate back the moment they stepped away. Once again you guys manage to avoid damning pitfalls and pet peeves and things that would weaken both the individual session and the campaign overall.
The fact that one can even theorize about the intentions and duplicity of the Amethyst Academy and other various factions in this game just highlights what a fantastic job the DM is doing in this stream. Each faction has an intelligible motivation and goal, and they actually act consistently with those goals as the game moves forward. Each faction has members with memorable and distinct personalities (and even voices/mannerisms), who pursue those goals with various (appropriate) degrees of candor or cunning. The setting itself is well realized and varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. And all of that is coming from the mind of Mr. Montgomery! I'll just say that I'm pretty impressed. There are other streamed games I enjoy as much as this one, but they're few, and run by professionals who are doing them for money. The way the DM has produced Drakkenheim and managed all the characters throughout the play makes me convinced he could write a good book if he wished to. But telling such a good and consistently managed tale on the fly, with the players doing their thing and forcing improvisation and reactive storytelling, is pretty amazing. Job well done, Mr. DM! (And of course, the players are doing good stuff, too.)
@@chrisw3024 Oh, definitely so. I've eaten up more than a couple streamed games by now, but Monty does faction and world things better than anyone else I've seen for sure. His world "feels like a character"/"characters" as some people put it. This is how a "political" game (i.e. one with world faction motives and actions and whatnot) should really be - exact play-out details may differ, but it's this level of fleshing-out that games with such elements being prominent should strive towards. And I would say that any game would benefit from having them even if it isn't the central focus, too. The insights he gave about how he makes things, particularly Drakkenheim, in the "setting" videos posted on the channel earlier helps a lot too. Shows that he focused his attention and effort on things that matter most in making the world feel the way it feels now, for playing in - instead of trying to craft a massive fantasy 'verse, concentrating on the perspective and point of view in focus and leaving broad strokes to handle the rest, and letting the players fill in some of it or indirectly help him with that as the game unfolds. It's smart DMing - perhaps one of the smartest approaches at that, given that a tabletop game is meant to be a collaborative entertainment hobby, not an interactive novel reading. Monty has that part down pat and is honestly an inspiration at that.
Sebastian might be better served to start being a bit more conservative with his spell slots, as he has to routinely halt the game to nappy nap, which has a tendency to torpedo any drama that has been built up....
Poor Pluto, I really think he was right. Abandoning the gate leaves it very vulnerable. Yes Sebastian will be limited to cantrips but Pluto and Veo would be fine, at least to help drive off the immediate counter attack. I mean I get it but I don't think Monty said the Lord of the Feast was definitely coming in the immediate counter-attack. They could have at least short-rested, helped drive off the initial assault and then tried to long rest in the Gate.
So River made the comment about Dopplegangers. I don't remember it ever being revealed that the queen is a doppelganger! Hmmm slip up Monty? Or is it really the Queen???
Hm could Pluto take a short rest while Sebastion and Veo take their long rest nap and then just wake them up if the Lord of the Feast attacks? Assuming Monty follows "standard" 5e rules. Although one thing we do know he does differently is that you cant long rest in the city normally because of the haze, but under the gates (like the dungeons of the Hooded Lanterns) you can so I'd assume they could. And then Monty might just roll some dice to see if their sleep was interrupted by battle sounds etc.
Just Wondering if this demon that the team keeps seeing is Orcus? Good job Drakkenforce, not always the most insight and foresight in your plans but Awesome roleplaying and very good in battle!
I thought Sebastian still had Enlarge/Reduce still. He could have reduced the gate, making it weigh a lot less and then aped one of them up and lifted the reduced gate. Once the gate is lift, shove the rods through and then when the spell wears off, the gate would return to normal size.
Tries ro show up for my first live event. Seems like the canadian internet decided to be like the Australian one. Will support you on patreon soon enough
So sorry for the internet issues, we have since had long conversations with our provider and upgraded both the internet and the streaming gear, we are doing everything we can to try and not let these issues happen again.
Same, was the first time I tried to watch live. Glad you are trying new things and sometimes it causes issues am sure it will be for the better once kinks are worked out.
When the group made an excellent point by pointing out that yes people fear magic but people's minds can be changed about magic and Rivers response was basically ummmm but but we can't trust anyone and I've already decided what's possible I knew that the group needed to part ways with the Amethyst Academy. I'd never recommend they work with people so close minded.
I'm imagining that while you and the paladin are speaking about doing the rest there is a black bear chilling in a corner scratching sometimes Edit you spoke about it like 10 min after ahahah
I say screw the Amethyst Academy. If anything, the academy needs the players more than the other way around. The winds are shifting in Drakkenheim and if the academy insists on remaining "neutral," it's going to be the odd one out when a new order rises. Also, for all of River's high and mighty talk about defending the downtrodden mages of the world, the academy couldn't move fast enough to kick Sebastian to the curb after his accident with his powers.
DUNGEONS OF DRAKKENHEIM is coming to Kickstarter in 2021! We’re partnering with Ghostfire Games to publish the complete adventure for Fifth Edition. Sign up at www.drakkenheim.com to get the latest updates!
Due to the streaming issues this week, we decided to thank our fans and post our episode a day early for everyone’s enjoyment! We have taken measures to hopefully not have any further issues.
thanks for the quick upload... the internet is an evil being...hahaha
Technology... *~sigh~*
So, I just noticed something about these guys, and it is something I wish everyone I played with did: They know their abilities.
I can’t count how many times my group has had to explain to players how sneak attack works, how flurry of blows works, what their spells do, what action surge does, etc., etc...
It is SO refreshing to watch people play D&D and NOT have to stop every encounter, and bring the story to a grinding halt, to figure out what they can or can’t do, or how they can do it.
Thank you again, Dungeon Dudes, for being exemplars of good RPG etiquette!
EXACTLY!! It is simply not entertaining to watch people flip through Players handbooks. And when I am watching The Dungeons of Drakkenheim I know I am going to watch an entertaining show! I have watched several other groups play and it is so painful to watch the immersion melt away as someone can't figure out how far they can throw a spell or if they have advantage against an enemy and have to stop and look something up! Kudos to these guys for KNOWING THE RULES of the game.
As a player and a new one at that I make sure I learn all of my characters abilities by heart before the session it just makes things easier for gameplay...I've only played 4 sessions and Ive learnt 2 characters....due to an unfortunate incident involving our sorcerer blowing up a room full of pitch with a fireball before I could make it out...
Yes, thats is wonderful. Another detail I love is that they are not bound by gthe rule book, if there are something they dont remember Monty only said "I will allow it, but next time might not work" instead of stoping the flow and look for the rules.
AlDoesAGood except when EVERYONE in the group (my group essentially) are newbs to the game, then EVERYONE asks questions lol
I thought that... Especially when Joe turned to Kelly when he was casting Thunderstep and said 'aren't they supposed to be d10s?' Not only knowing his powers, but paying enough attention to know the others too.
1:01:00
That was an epic moment! House cat Veo does kitty scratch attack for 1 damage and breaks the concentration. This is why we play DnD
It was a Crit... 2 damage !! LOL
Sebastian: We have a day right?
Virgil: You’ll be lucky to get an hour.
Sebastian (no spell slots left): Um, I can shoot 1 bolt of fire every 6 seconds if you need help.
Kelly didn't ask. More like,
Sebastian: F*ck you, I'm out.
Honestly in combination with that acid stuff the gnolls had that could have been really effective for defending against the lower level gnolls.
I absolutely LOVE the way Monty has crafted the Amethyst Academy. River is such a fascinating agent for them, she's a master of deflection and redirection.
That said, they're definitely super scummy. "We have to make it look like the city is hopeless to everyone but us".
What a load of hogwash. Do the good that you can, then deal with the next problem when it arises. The Academy is so focused on being the ultimate winner in Drakkenheim that they've failed their responsibility to their fellow man to help them, given the gifts that they have.
Now they've killed one gate worth of Gnolls!
The closed captions can't decide whether they're called Knolls, Knowles or Noels
@@PerpetualBass lol
You won... I went out to buy the D&D5th ed. books last week, which I swore I would never do... and we had a fun first session. Thanks! :)
Why swear to never buy the books?
I already have too many books, 2nd, 3rd, 4th editions, 2 kids and not enough time to play ^^
Eithne21 I have kids and I didn't get to play for a long time. This year my kids asked for DnD books for Christmas. Since we have played for hundreds of hours. Now they have 19th lvl characters cleric, rouge, sorceress, ranger and 8th lvl rouge characters. It has been so much fun they want to play all the time. In fact I'm drawing up a dungeon as I watch this ( trying to get the right challenge for 19th lvl PCs). I am a bit jealous though in all the years I have played I have never had a character past lvl 16. I need to say thank you to the Dungeon Dudes! they have helped me a lot learning how to go from playing as a PC to DM. 😺
@@hyserbomb I have started to DM for my eldest (8 years old) and it's a lot of fun, he's learned a lot about math, geometry (go dice!), and how to tell a story; but my youngest cant yet count or read and he grows bored quickly, even when we let him roll the dice for us (and damn is he lucky!) waiting til he's old enough to play too ^^
I swore to never buy them either. Then I changed my mind after my old DM stole my 3.5ed books. lol
One day Joe should play a character named Joe Ogreman.
I thought he is????
Monte does such a good job of making compelling arguments for his factions. And his NPCs clearly reflect the belief that they are right. Makes of an awesome political backdrop, and difficult decisions.
Yeah, except for the spike in heart people who were just too weird, I've been seeing myself agreeing somewhat with whichever leader of factions was the last speaking. They mostly all make decent points. :)
The game designers are writing Dune, and only Joe appreciates it. The other two think it's Star Wars.
@@zTom_ Late to the party but hey
and Well their Leader did do very well (in terms of interacting with them in the world since well he did hit all the weak spots for Sebastion) and they are supposed to be Religious Fanatics so i found their behavior to be quite fitting
@@zTom_ I liked how the most stupid faction would totally have convinced seb, totally great rp without worrying just about game ramifications
Haven't played D n D for 30 years,but,I LOVE following this!
I came back after 30 years. It is fun.
Last week went so smooth, this'll be a cakewalk #WhatsTheWorstThatCouldHappen
Great session!
And the consequences of each decision begins rolling in! So cool to see the story threads finally coming together.
Monty made an interesting choice of words at the end of today's session that he may have said before but I only picked up on it this particular episode. He thanked each of the members of the CAST. I point this out because I think it's a really important distinction between this particular Dungeons & Dragons session and some of the others that you can watch on TH-cam and twitch.
I have read many comments from people who appreciate the fact that this show runs so smoothly. The players know the rules of the game and the dungeon master is intimately familiar with both the rules and the capabilities of the NPC's and Monsters. It makes for much more entertaining watching as many others have pointed out, and I agree!
A lot of the Dungeon Masters and Players are seeing themselves as just Dungeon Masters and Players, but I believe Monty looks at his players as 'PLAYERS' in the theater sense. I think that is a huge paradigm shift from these other shows! As a dungeon master myself I really appreciate how smooth this show runs and just want to give yet another thank you to Monte and the cast and crew!
Critical Kitty to the Face!
Pluto is so brave, Sebastian is such a coward. An alive coward mind you, probably very wise, too. Also, natural 20 on kitty-fu!
When at 56:24 Sebastian threw "cat Veo" at the blue crone, I couldn't help, but think of the Crazy Cat Lady from the Simpsons! Who would have ever thought that a DnD game could include an episode of cat weaponisation? :D
"What's that tiny amphibian?"
"That's my newt... It got better."
I love how Sebastian keeps on pushing for his own safety and comfort, even when others are willing to sacrifice themselves with much less than Sebastian has even at his lowest ebb.
So River is trying to build Genosha in Drakkenheim.
Love the Monty Python reference.
It was a great show (and how many funny moments, oh, pure joy)!
My favorite part was when Monty 'customized' the fireball - it was awesome!
A word joke: Pluto has a 'bagbear' now. ;)
River's monologue at the end was also very effective, I think as DM it was not easy to tell the statement of the Amethyst Academy.
Well done, thank you to all of you to provide a very enjoyable show to us!
This episode had a great flow! Seems like DM and players are all finding their groove in drakkenheim and at the table. Your content gets better and better guys keep it up!
Pluto Jackson: Troll Killer, Bear Master
, and giant ape
"Am I proficient in throwing cats?" "Well you're kinda good at hurting Cats so go for it". That was excellent Monty, I feel like that flew massively under the radar.
Would’ve been a perfect opportunity for an “animal handling” check
Theory: the lord of feast himself was going to mount an attack to regain the gate, with magic teleporting inside with the remaining hags for a showdown. By fleeing from the gate, drakenforce actually avoided that potential deadly encounter. But that left the door open for the Amethyst Academy working with the queen of thieves and next week the bomb goes off at the gate, irrevocably depleting both the hooded lanterns and the paladins, paving the way for the academy to rule.
The encounter with with the hags is the best moments of the episode.
That fireball into a cauldron of acid……I’ve been laughing for an hour straight.
A cat as an improvised weapon... There's one I've never done before. 😁
I don't know how they held it together with how quickly everyone answered Virgil (Monty) asking them:
Virgil: Is there anything you need to soothe you?
Veo: Milk
Seb: Tea
Pluto: a song.
Crack timing and hilarious!
Each faction has distinctive and well justified motives. Well planned, and well spoken!
57:50 should’ve been an “animal handling” check lmao
1:01:16 This is the best sequence of events in the series so far. Change my mind.
That Monty Python reference was beautiful. Kudos!
I love using Hag covens! Used them on my players...my paladin player cut up my night hag up like a rotisserie chicken. How can Sebastian, Veoh and Pluto even know this is actually River? I think the Insight skill gets overlooked a lot. Not just this game, but in general.
Crit Role uses it a ton - but I agree, it's often neglected... either thought of as being ineffectual (it's totally not! It can totally change the outcomes of tense negotiations and the like!) or not even remembered in the first place.
Monty has the perfect Southern Drawl for the Paladins. This show is so much better than the rest. Dungeon Cast is a close second but even they put a little too much real world stuff into their fantasy play.
I finally get to sit down and watch this... and apparently I'll have some time to watch the rest of the episodes since my workplace is closed until April 6th (I guess they decided to go with how long the schools would be closed).
Those undead knolls seem easy to kill...
Veo is having 1st shot issues...
Crones suck... so evil with their spells on the party :(
Kitty Veo Crit! Nice :)
Smashy smash Pluto.
Sebastian and his exaggeration of his wounds. lol
The heroes of Drakkenheim - Such an amusing group.
I've been wondering if that helmet gets warm.
Just an observation: "Everything is fine!" Meanwhile theres two hags MIA somewhere
*Crones.
Monty said their magic was broken
Well, they also have a minotaur, a ncromancer, a T-Rex, an entire cult of ratpeople, an executioner robot thing, a tribe of fishpeople, some weird plants in the park and likely several other things leftover from their previous episodes. And I'm totally looking forward to seeing all of that coming back to bite them in the - you know where - due to Monti being a DM who wouldn't forget about that stuff.
@@achimsinn7782to make things even worse, an entire cult of rat people who have just been told to go live in an abandoned necromancer’s house with said necromancer floating in the wind and a possessed statue of a demon still standing in the house
I am really enjoying Dungeons of Drakkenheim. I really hope you can cure the Queen and save Drakkenheim. I know your worst nemesis has been locked doors, so good luck opening these portcullis.
Naah that's not true, their worst nemesis is puzzles for sure. :)
Not even the lack of internets can stop me from getting my dungeon dudes!
Sebastian: cat veo.. I choose you! -throws veo at the hag-
the monty python reference was awesome, jolly good show
Drakkenheim!!!
Thanks for the early upload. (Extra lemon squares for Clayton this week!)
Can’t wait to see more of the battle, it’s been fantastic so far!
I realise it's just a dialectic thing but Pluto being pronounced as Pahlootoe by Monty and nobody else is still the funniest shit to me, along with 'pattarans' (patterns). Thanks for the great show, guys. I'm late to the party but enjoying this.
And with the flippant Monty Python & the Holy Grail quote, this video series magically and officially became a real D&D game.
Sebastian holds this team back so much.
Ape Pluto: Banana Slama!
Don’t let this distract you from the fact that if the rat prince dies... we all riot!
Keep up the good work lady and gents!
-We have an army
-We have a Pluto
Love the show! Keep up the good work as an amazing show!
and spoilers
I am actually glad that they ruined the potions and scrolls so they won’t forget them again!
RIP scrolls of mage armor, gaseous form and lightning bolt
26:53 Vao should have checked for targets through murder holes.
"How many fingers am I holding up?". ✌️ 😂😂
"How many fingers am I holding up?" LOL
Virgil might be my new favorite NPC
Pluto has Sentinel which I am pretty still allows attacks of opportunity regardless of disengage. You can’t disengage from someone with sentinel.
Does he still have Sentinel as a giant ape though?
@@malogranatum4914 when your shape changes due to poli/shapeshift or whatever feats still work
Incorrect. Polymorph is not wild shape.
The polymorph spell states that only the abilities of the creature can be used. However sentinel does allow attacks of opportunity within the players reach when not polymorphed.
i can just picture montys smile being on who wants to be a millionaire and the question "what is a strong, heavy grating that can be lowered down grooves on each side of a gateway to block it?"
Monty Python love 💕 “... well I got better”
Did Sebastian just become a Pokémon trainer?!?
Veyo Cat, I CHOSE YOU!
Turning into an actual cat is too too funny 😂😂😂
Do they not realize that they can use Pluto's nephew and sister (the next ones in line to the throne) as reassurance to protect the Amethyst Academy. This could bring them to the table.
That was really great big badass battle sequence :D And this was another cool episode :)
Even as a cat she's a bad ass... you go girl
She's always a cat...
I hope you remember to sell that delerium to River. "I don't think we can ally with the academy under your conditions. Also, want to buy some Delerium?"
Also what about Huck? You left him at the gate. Is he ok? Or did he go down like a hero?
Sebastian has to learn fireball for real.
How many Monty Python joke can you fit into one episode?
Dungeon Dudes: Yes
I got my set of skull splitter dice. I love them!
In hindsight the counterspell let Pluto keep ape form
Let us know how even they roll, I'm thimking about some too...
You should tell River about the hooded lanterns interest in the academy help.Why it would make a nice wedge to claim the academy necessity in the recovery of the city.Than tell the queen money is not the only pay the academy trades in hurry she's almost out of remedy.
That shrapnel fireball acid bomb was worth the destroyed literature... hopefully!
Getting with for one damage and failing concentration is just the best thing ever. I managed keep my Hunter's Mark on for a really long time during a big fight, took one falling damage during it, concentration gone!
Do you guys use Inspiration during your game sessions? What do you think about the mechanic itself?
I was totally floored by that chain of events. The dice make strange things happen!
I think the inspiration mechanic is a decent one, but honestly -- I just *forget* to use it since it is such a tacked-on rule. However, we talked about how we might make better use of it here: th-cam.com/video/bSmsjRT06gA/w-d-xo.html
Loving the Monty Python references hahaha
Still disapointed that the giant ape didn't get to throw some barrels
I actually rather like how the Amethyst guys come off as rather villainous by now, well-intentioned or otherwise. Even their intentions are suspect, with how they're already using delirium to produce WMDs and now seek to keep everyone else away from the source. I was never fond of the "mighty mages are actually oppressed and persecuted victims" trope so it's actually really refreshing to not see the "poor special snowflakes with world-altering powers are the downtrodden" card played straight, and instead seeing the organization claiming to represent their interests being the most sinister, shadowy, hostile and egocentric, sneering at everyone else and ready to destroy all the rest in order to prop themselves up a little bit. Even the Queen of Thieves, for all her dark manipulation and her seeming "no gods no masters" ethos, feels friendlier than the Amethysts.
Great to see the crew lay down a well-executed verbal smackdown onto the Amethyst spiel and question their sociopathy instead of blindly buying into it - it doesn't matter how possibly heroic the inner secret intentions of some Amethyst guys could be, the crew just reacts to what they're faced with and that's the great and important thing.
Only issue I have with how the Amethyst has been introduced over the previous sessions is how it was not clear what their status as a faction was - maybe it was to players, which would make it better, but it wasn't to the viewer (and that's ultimately fine, 'long as players know). At first it seemed to me like the Amethysts were only Drakkenheim's mage guild, and were mostly vestigial and in a remnant state and trying to take their former holdings back that they lost with the city. Then it turns out they actually are a world-spanning franchise bordering on corporate superpower/magic monopoly status, with chapters and affiliates in every land, and Drakkenheim was merely a small setback for them that they are now reaping the upsides of. It puts them and their activities in a very different light - with that sort of structure, it would be easy to believe they called down the meteor on the city in order to profit from its harvesting Darkest Dungeon: Color of Madness style. Perhaps that is the intention and the appearance is false - which is, of course, a great idea in itself too. But what I mean is that it would've been nice to know they were actually a huge world-spanning organization instead of the local city mage guild from the start.
Great battle sequence, though. Wonderful work both by the players knowing their stuff and taking clever opportunities, and the DM allowing for it and being able to both keep up with the ploys and provide a good serving of combat to this wily party. Made the PC crew feel important to the battle without having them be the walking meat grinder or taking over absolutely everything - the holding of the gate by NPCs after they retired to recover was a good touch, it would've felt boring in an "only PCs can do things, NPCs have no agency" way if the gnolls took the gate back the moment they stepped away. Once again you guys manage to avoid damning pitfalls and pet peeves and things that would weaken both the individual session and the campaign overall.
The fact that one can even theorize about the intentions and duplicity of the Amethyst Academy and other various factions in this game just highlights what a fantastic job the DM is doing in this stream. Each faction has an intelligible motivation and goal, and they actually act consistently with those goals as the game moves forward. Each faction has members with memorable and distinct personalities (and even voices/mannerisms), who pursue those goals with various (appropriate) degrees of candor or cunning. The setting itself is well realized and varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. And all of that is coming from the mind of Mr. Montgomery!
I'll just say that I'm pretty impressed. There are other streamed games I enjoy as much as this one, but they're few, and run by professionals who are doing them for money. The way the DM has produced Drakkenheim and managed all the characters throughout the play makes me convinced he could write a good book if he wished to. But telling such a good and consistently managed tale on the fly, with the players doing their thing and forcing improvisation and reactive storytelling, is pretty amazing.
Job well done, Mr. DM! (And of course, the players are doing good stuff, too.)
@@chrisw3024 Oh, definitely so. I've eaten up more than a couple streamed games by now, but Monty does faction and world things better than anyone else I've seen for sure. His world "feels like a character"/"characters" as some people put it. This is how a "political" game (i.e. one with world faction motives and actions and whatnot) should really be - exact play-out details may differ, but it's this level of fleshing-out that games with such elements being prominent should strive towards. And I would say that any game would benefit from having them even if it isn't the central focus, too.
The insights he gave about how he makes things, particularly Drakkenheim, in the "setting" videos posted on the channel earlier helps a lot too. Shows that he focused his attention and effort on things that matter most in making the world feel the way it feels now, for playing in - instead of trying to craft a massive fantasy 'verse, concentrating on the perspective and point of view in focus and leaving broad strokes to handle the rest, and letting the players fill in some of it or indirectly help him with that as the game unfolds. It's smart DMing - perhaps one of the smartest approaches at that, given that a tabletop game is meant to be a collaborative entertainment hobby, not an interactive novel reading. Monty has that part down pat and is honestly an inspiration at that.
Sebastian might be better served to start being a bit more conservative with his spell slots, as he has to routinely halt the game to nappy nap, which has a tendency to torpedo any drama that has been built up....
Milk.
Tea.
A song.
Had me rolling... xD
Poor Pluto, I really think he was right. Abandoning the gate leaves it very vulnerable. Yes Sebastian will be limited to cantrips but Pluto and Veo would be fine, at least to help drive off the immediate counter attack. I mean I get it but I don't think Monty said the Lord of the Feast was definitely coming in the immediate counter-attack. They could have at least short-rested, helped drive off the initial assault and then tried to long rest in the Gate.
Such a spellcaster move, blowing all spellslots and resources right away and then wimping out of the fight
So River made the comment about Dopplegangers. I don't remember it ever being revealed that the queen is a doppelganger! Hmmm slip up Monty? Or is it really the Queen???
*TGIDrakkenheim time*
So ready. What's the worse that can happen?
You gotta pay the knull toll to get to this boy's soul
Gnoll
also great rhyme
@@jaysea682 I had my doubts. *sighs*
Monty, taking great lengths not to use the word hag
THE HIGHTLIGHT OF MY WEEK.
Love this campaign man
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!
Hm could Pluto take a short rest while Sebastion and Veo take their long rest nap and then just wake them up if the Lord of the Feast attacks?
Assuming Monty follows "standard" 5e rules. Although one thing we do know he does differently is that you cant long rest in the city normally because of the haze, but under the gates (like the dungeons of the Hooded Lanterns) you can so I'd assume they could. And then Monty might just roll some dice to see if their sleep was interrupted by battle sounds etc.
Monte tried so hard at the start of this episode And the end of the previous to get them to NOT go down to more gnolls. I feels your payne
The Cake is a Lie. There is no Cake. lol
"I, am not the night commander, I am Virgil"
Yay!!! I love bag of tricks
I got a gray bag of tricks in ravenloft
SWEET THANKS!!
Just Wondering if this demon that the team keeps seeing is Orcus? Good job Drakkenforce, not always the most insight and foresight in your plans but Awesome roleplaying and very good in battle!
I gotta commend Joe, he made a human fighter super interesting! Well fuckin' done Joe!
Just an observation- Pluto is already strong, so Sebastian should have gone ape and raised the gate together.
Edit: nice Monty Python quote. ☺
I thought Sebastian still had Enlarge/Reduce still. He could have reduced the gate, making it weigh a lot less and then aped one of them up and lifted the reduced gate. Once the gate is lift, shove the rods through and then when the spell wears off, the gate would return to normal size.
@@kentvesser9484 Nice idea. After reducing Pluto could have probably lifted the gate himself anyway, without the polymorph.
Or... enlarge Ape-pluto. He'd be King Kong for real
The newt joke is great. Keep it going!
I loved the monty python reference
The return of Pluto Apeson
Monty with the Monty Python joke! #Winning
Silly Pluto, Tricks are for enemies!
About the comment made at 1:36:05 I'd like to reply with: "But they didn't pay gnoll toll at all."
1:56:00 Were some of the horses riding the paladins? 🤣🤣
Tries ro show up for my first live event. Seems like the canadian internet decided to be like the Australian one. Will support you on patreon soon enough
So sorry for the internet issues, we have since had long conversations with our provider and upgraded both the internet and the streaming gear, we are doing everything we can to try and not let these issues happen again.
@@DungeonDudes dont worry. Will be here supporting you guys.
Same, was the first time I tried to watch live. Glad you are trying new things and sometimes it causes issues am sure it will be for the better once kinks are worked out.
Slowly making my way through the campaign
me to...
When the group made an excellent point by pointing out that yes people fear magic but people's minds can be changed about magic and Rivers response was basically ummmm but but we can't trust anyone and I've already decided what's possible I knew that the group needed to part ways with the Amethyst Academy. I'd never recommend they work with people so close minded.
I'm imagining that while you and the paladin are speaking about doing the rest there is a black bear chilling in a corner scratching sometimes
Edit you spoke about it like 10 min after ahahah
FYI Monty - "Sloughing" is pronounced Sloffing, like Coughing.
I too get annoyed by some of the pronunciations used by Monty
I love the holy grail XD
Counterspell the counterspell
I say screw the Amethyst Academy. If anything, the academy needs the players more than the other way around. The winds are shifting in Drakkenheim and if the academy insists on remaining "neutral," it's going to be the odd one out when a new order rises. Also, for all of River's high and mighty talk about defending the downtrodden mages of the world, the academy couldn't move fast enough to kick Sebastian to the curb after his accident with his powers.