Alignment May Vary

17/11/2022

Hello, all! Been a long time but wanted to let folks who are interested know that a new Podcast Project has gone live! This is not under Alignment May Vary but it is done by Jonathan Stark (me!) who was one of the primary creators of AMV. I think many of you may enjoy it!

I am so excited to share at last in an official capacity that Episode 0 of the OFFICIAL LONE WOLF PODCAST is LIVE!! This is the podcast that I've been co-hosting and producing for months now. We have 7 episodes "in the can" and over 30 more to come. Finally, I get to share it!

If you know what Lone Wolf is, than this will serve as a soft intro to what we will be talking about. If you don't know what Lone Wolf is, then this episode is for you! It introduces the series and why it is important to us and to the history of gamebooks.

Note that this is episode ZERO, which is meant to introduce fans to the series as well as give an overview of what we intend to do. That means it is both broader and shorter than our normal episodes will be. Our standard episode length is 1 hour and each episode will focus on a single book in the series, meaning we have at least 32 episodes coming up for you... not to mention special episodes that we are already planning. So stay tuned for TONS MORE LONE WOLF.

In the meantime, I wanted to encourage everyone to check out the podcast and feel free to leave any feedback in this thread. I am hopeful that these episodes stir up conversation and discussion because there is nothing more exciting to me than talking Lone Wolf with my brother and sister Kai Lords!

https://anchor.fm/journeysthroughmagnamund?fbclid=IwAR1h3XuArIAiKFCkJOno89Ch8cBTcg28lmLZckdZ97sv1Y7WxZImgKw2q8I

Welcome to Magnamund - the world of Joe Dever's Lone Wolf. Each episode explores an adventure in the Lone Wolf series, the fantastic role-playing epic spanning 32 books. New to Lone Wolf? Allow us to be your companions as you discover the bestselling series that continues to inspire generations of r...

23/11/2021

Hello, all! Wanted to let everyone know that we are going to be bringing the podcast to a close in the upcoming months. The reason is changes in our lives: I have a seven month old child and am working hard on publishing my first novel, and everyone else's job schedules have changed or increased so that managing to commit to the podcast has become increasingly difficult. We never intended this to be a money grab or to cash in on the popularity of D&D, we always did this out of passion and a desire to bring a fun product to people who were fans like us. Along the way, we've gotten to meet some AMAZING guest stars and have formed lasting relationships with some of them and some fans as well that have been rewarding and wonderful. We hope others will continue to find and enjoy the show, either on podcasting channels or on youtube, but already we feel that we have a legacy borne out in those relationships and the experiences we've gained. Level up!

Our content is not going away. The website will remain active, and our Patreon will shift to simply help us continue paying the fees to do that. We promise the podcast will still be available and, as time allows, the website will continue to be added to in terms of the blogs and artwork. There is lots more ready to post in those regards! We even have some recorded material I'd like to finish, including an Adventurous Appetizer episode with Robert Kendzie on converting campaigns to your own uses. It's a good one, I just haven't had time to edit it.

Finally, we do have ONE MORE EPISODE OF THE BESTIARY coming, which will be our regular crew's chance to tackle one last beast. It is going to be a very big one. You might say, it's "five-headed" in its scope.

We will let you know when a date for that episode is set and we hope you will join us live on Twitch for it! It's your last chance to be a part of the conversation.

13/11/2021

... second update! Our latest episode of the Bestiary is now available for listening! Learn about the cosmic entity and plane destroying HUNGER that is the Antling! Featuring the creator of the Antiling, Lee from Tome of Summoning!

Today’s Bestiary is a very unusual one. We go beyond the planes, beyond the very pages of the Monster Manual itself, to study a creature even Wizards of the Coast cannot explain. This is a new aberration, something that comes from the limbo between planes. And it hungers….

13/11/2021

Couple big updates today! First, the second part of our session led by the wonderful Robert Kendzie is available to watch on youtube anow! Some of my favorite moments are in this section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9SCnIm7pto
.. second update coming in a bit...

Welcome back Alignment May Vary's one shot series, where we tackle short D&D/Tabletop RPG campaigns that can be finished in a sitting or two. Our D&D games a...

26/10/2021

I'm Popeye the Sailor Bard. I make my enemies laugh really hard. Fighter says "use your song powers" but Im building dice towers; I'm Popeye the Sailor Bard.

Back in the early '80s, Dungeons & Dragons was so popular that even Bugs Bunny and Popeye got to have playable characters.

04/10/2021

Reading through a Kickstarted advance copy of One Ring 2E and man but this might be one of the most exciting rule sets I've read in ages! Can't wait to get this in front of our players.

I also want to give credit to "rules first" design in laying out core rule books. I dislike it when a book puts lore first, because that's a lot of reading to get to the rules, when I'd like to know HOW to play first before I get into coming up with a bunch of ideas. I find my creative DM process is stymied if I don't know the system first.

29/09/2021

Oh shoot, didn't think about this!

"Replacing spells with actions also has a major effect on what players can do in combat. One of the more popular spells in Dungeons & Dragons is counterspell, a spell that allows a player (or NPC) to cancel out a spell another creature is trying to cast. The rules for counterspell specifically states that the spell can only be used when a player (or NPC) sees a creature within 60 feet of them casting a spell. Many of the actions included in the NPC statblocks seen in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight are not described as spells, which means they aren't affected by a counterspell. This also impacts players who chose the "Mage Slayer" feat, as NPCs are a lot more capable of attacking characters up close than they were before."

A recent design change in Dungeons & Dragons had some unexpected consequences on a popular spell. [...]

26/08/2021

This Saturday, live on Twitch at 5pm PST, we tackle yet another monster. This time, it's one that has more roots in actual mythology than anything else we've covered, a beast that has featured in our legends for over 5000 years: The Gryphon!

And we have two wonderful guests joining us to help tear into this fantastic hybrid! Cat Rambo is an accomplished sci-fi writer and supporter of the creative arts, and Alan Bailey is the creator and organizer of the podcast on which they co-host: If This Goes On Don't Panic!

Check out some of their work below and join us for what will be a fascinating mix of D&D lore, real world mythology, and literature.

http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/academy/

https://itgodp.libsyn.com/

The World Remains Mysterious - Speculative Fiction Writer/Editor Cat Rambo's blog

25/08/2021

Hey all y'alls, did you miss our last episode of the Bestiary when we did it live? We got you covered: Radiant Idols, guest starring the wonderful Alex Schmidt of Stonemaier Games, is now available for listening on our website or your preferred podcasting method.

This episode takes us on quite the journey, maybe the biggest deep dive into the psyche of a monster we've ever done. I love where we end up and how far we come from where we begin!

https://alignmentmayvary.com/the-bestiary-episode-27-radiant-idol-with-alex-schmidt-of-stonemaier-games/

04/08/2021

Random day thought: I'd forgotten how good the original soundtrack to Star Fox (the SNES) was! A mix of electronica and epic cinematic tracks and surprisingly long for a flying game soundtrack at nearly an hour!

Complete soundtrack from StarFox (Super Nintendo).Tracklist ♫ (with internal time links):01. Title Demonstration - 0:0002. Title Screen - 00:40 03. Controls ...

02/08/2021

Part one of a great adventure is up on our Youtube page! Which adventure? Why, the one shot run live by the wonderful Robert Kendzie for our group! Which means *gasp* I am a player in this one! Come see how two gnomes, a Firbolg, and a Cleric handle the oddities and demands of The Path of Stones! SPOILER: They handle it with a combination of improv dancing and gnome tossing.

Welcome back Alignment May Vary's one shot series, where we tackle short D&D/Tabletop RPG campaigns that can be finished in a sitting or two. Our D&D games a...

01/08/2021

Odd thought of the day.

I cannot deny that John Williams is probably the greatest film composer of all time, but I think best movie soundtrack of all time goes to Howard Shore for Lord of the Rings (the original trilogy). William's scores created the characters he scored... for instance, you cannot separate Darth Vader from his theme or Indiana Jones from his. Shore had an arguably harder job: creating music for a world that was already envisioned by so many and utterly precious and sacred to so many. And he goddamn nailed it. His music WAS the music that was already playing in my head whenever I read Lord of the Rings, I just hadn't been able to give it voice like he did.

23/07/2021

Hey besties! Get it? Bestiary listeners and friends? Ohkay I'll stop now. But I WONT stop telling you about our awesome upcoming episode tomorrow, Saturday at 1:00pm PST, with game designer Alex Schmidt at Stonemaier Games (https://stonemaiergames.com/). What are we covering? A very unique creature, one that is featured in Keith Amman's Eberron. Tune in to find out what it is!

https://www.twitch.tv/alignmentmayvary

We believe in creating memorable, beautiful, fun games.

22/07/2021

We spoke about this a little in our Drow episode, and more in our Orc episode and our Yuan Ti episode, and it's great to see the acknowledgment come from a major creator of that content. I applaud RA Salvatore: it is not an easy thing to do to admit past ignorance, however innocent it was.

‘If the drow are being portrayed as evil, that’s a trope that has to go away’

16/07/2021

Hey all! Still getting used to this new Facebook design for pages, but I don't want that to get in the way of posting the audio for June's episode: the Tarrasque! This episode featured the knowledgeable Luke Elliott, whose podcast Ink to FIlm is amazing audio for film AND literature fans.

You can check him out both on our episode and by following the link-in-the-link.

The Tarrasque is consistently presented as one of D&D’s biggest, baddest monsters. But is this beast more than just a bunch of hit points? The Bestiary team thinks so! Join us as we discuss the real-world origins of the Tarrasque as well as how this beast adds up to more than hit points. Joining u...

05/07/2021

I'm running a solo game of the Fallout 2d20 RPG by Modiphius for my wife. Today, she and her faithful dog, Rover, encountered some raiders fighting a merchant trapped inside an abandoned gas station. My wife, roleplaying most excellently her incredibly naive Vault Dweller, walked into the middle of the raiders and said, "Hail friends! My name is Shrub! I am seeking lost Vault technology and my pip boy says there is some here. Are you from a Vault?"

The raiders proceeded to convince her to fight for them against the merchant (though eventually Shrub figured out the ruse and helped fight them off, even punching one so hard in the stomache that they passed out from pain).

24/06/2021

Did you miss our 25th Episode, the Yuan Ti with the lovely Freya?
You can get the podcast episode now or listen to it on our website!

Snakes and people… how does that ever happen in nature? Turns out, even Wizards of the Coast can’t agree on how the Yuan Ti were created. In this episode of the Bestiary we look at three different versions of Yuan Ti history, as well as the race’s controversial background. And joining us for that is the wonderful Freya, back on the Bestiary for the second time! Freya brings great questions about the Yuan Ti and their functioning to the table and even gets to make a Yuan Ti herself. Now doesn’t that sound fun?

Snakes and people… how does that ever happen in nature? Turns out, even Wizards of the Coast can’t agree on how the Yuan Ti were created. In this episode of the Bestiary we look at three different versions of Yuan Ti history, as well as the race’s controversial background. And joining us for t...

19/06/2021

Reminder, tonight is the Tarrasque at 600pm PST on Twitch! Joined by film buff and podcaster Luke Elliott!

Join our adventures as we explore the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, deep dive into the beasts and monsters of the Forgotten Realms, and generally have a great time with our friends and guests!

15/06/2021

This Saturday, at 6:00pm live on Twitch, it's time for a big honkin' monster. The biggest of the bad, the Tarrasque is often called D&D's Godzilla, or sometimes Galactus. It is a destroyer of countrysides or even worlds, depending on the DM.

To help us take on the beast, we'll be join by film expert Luke Elliott, host of Ink to Film podcast! Among topics we may get into are the origins of the Tarrasque, why pitting a clay golem against it DOESNT work (no matter what you read online), and why we are so fascinated by big, dumb beasts with the destructive power of nuclear weapons.

Don't miss it!

https://www.inktofilm.com/

08/06/2021

Do you like Gamebooks, like Lone Wolf, or Fighting Fantasy? There is a bonkers one on KS right now, and I've backed it. Wanted to share in case you love these things as much as I do!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swen/metal-heroes-and-the-fate-of-rock-hardcover?fbclid=IwAR0J4LaudRFk4iL09ggMV8BBY5zqA_XWIgo0oIxYmtjMRb-bHs-rxFKVsCg

Help to make the loudest gamebook on earth even HARDER!

08/06/2021

Hey, I've got a story for you all! My players had an adventure recently where they fell into a sea where a ship of gnomes had sunk. The gnomes drowned and their blood infused the sea with wild magic, so that anyone who fell in it afterwards ended up cursed with confusion. My players fell in (oh no!) and what was worse, they didn't even have a long rest.

So, you could say, they were Sleepless and Sea-Addled.

06/06/2021

Just a reminder! We're going live with Robert Kendzie for a great game of D&D today in just an hour and a half, 4:00pm PST!

https://www.twitch.tv/alignmentmayvary

Join our adventures as we explore the lore of Dungeons & Dragons, deep dive into the beasts and monsters of the Forgotten Realms, and generally have a great time with our friends and guests!

05/06/2021

My character for tomorrow's live game, Octavian the Firbolg Ranger (and I came up with a secret order for him to be a part of):

Octavian comes from a long line of Firbolgs who have sung the Reclusive Song since its inception. As a result, he has never questioned his path in life, has indeed never known another life. He is completely dedicated to the principles and teachings of the Song and will never be swayed from that quest, not even unto death. He has a mate and two children of his own, who he is inducting in the Song just the same as he was.

Octavian is part of the order The Reclusive Song, sometimes known as The Sighers. They are a secret order dedicated to keeping powerful artifacts out of the hands of anyone, good or evil, for the sake of keeping the world safe. They investigate strange rumors in case such magical artifacts or items are involved in some way, and needs must ensure no one finds the item in question. Some rumor that they they acquire such assets themselves and horde them in a great protected vault, heavily guarded by the best of their order. Others say that they quest to destroy such artifacts and occasionally send a lone ranger or two out into the world to carry out just such a deed.

In the order, Octavian is considered a Whisper rank, which means he has been trained to blend in with society (thanks to the use of his disguise self) and to be able to read people's intentions. He is in charge of joining adventuring parties to ensure any magical items they find are not dangerous to bring back to society.

All order initiates are given a magical relic of small power and no real effect to guard over as a symbol of their dedication to the Song. Octavian holds a silver badge in the shape of a five-pointed star. It sometimes changes to gold, or bronze, and sometimes the star has six points, or none and more closely resembles a moon. It is unsure why this occurs.