The Goblins and Growlers Podcast

Interview | Paul Hughes on Pets, Sidekicks & Monster Madness | GGP

“What do you get when you mix a thousand-legged centipede, a skeleton butler, and an emotionally resilient owlbear cub? A Paul Hughes interview, of course.”
 
In this special episode of GGP, Inver and Josh are joined by Pets & Sidekicks co-creator Paul Hughes, longtime EN World writer and TTRPG monster crafter. Together, they delve into:
✦ The design philosophy behind scalable companions in Advanced 5E
✦ Balancing action economy with adorable, devastating pets
✦ The evolution of owlbears, undead stealth features, and companion mechanics
✦ Narrative tips for GMs and players using sentient sidekicks
✦ A few spicy skeleton jokes (because, obviously)
 
Whether you’re a game designer, monster-crafting aficionado, or just really into fantasy fur babies, there’s something here to chew on.
For you CR crunchers out there, Paul promises a future Deep Dive on CR calculations, action economy balancing, and high-level companion builds. Get ready.
 
🎙️ Audio Note: The sound quality in this one had a bit of a rough roll, but we promise the content is still legendary. Blame neither Paul nor Scott. All honor to our audio wizard.
 
And now, for the RELEVANT LINKS: 
✦ Support Pets & Sidekicks on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/enworld/companions-compendium
✦ Peek behind the curtain at Paul’s mad genius: blogofholding.com
—
And, you know, if you really love us... feel free to:
✧ Join our community Discord Server (http://bit.ly/goblinDiscord)!
✧ Listen to our sister show Quid Pro Roll (https://quidproroll.podbean.com/)!
✧ Find bonus episodes, early drops, and Deep Dives through our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)!

News | WotC Layoffs & Dungeon Delves | GGP

Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
Jess Lanzillo got a new opportunity with White Wolf and Todd Kenreck got the boot. Both are gone from D&D for very different reasons, but it raises the question of what's going on over there? Why's the old guard looking to get out (Lanzillo) and why are they eliminating one of the main faces of their 2024* relaunch (Kenreck)? Couple that with Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford heading to Darrington Press and it paints the picture of rebooted or more corporatized internals for D&D going forward, especially with their move toward a franchise model.
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast.
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

News | Daggerheart Snags Ex-WotC, DriveThruRPG Censors Game | GGP

DrivethruRPG removed 9th Level Games' "Rebel Scum" game because it's loud about proud about not being a game that supports bigotry, fascism, anti-vax, and generally things that are good to dislike. It turned into kind of a weasel-wordy exchange over standards of the publishing platform and was, generally, frustrating to read about and talk about. Beware of ranting in this video.
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast.
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

Debate | Guns in *My* D&D? A Heated Discussion | GGP

It started with a story about Mage Hand Press' Gunslinger class being available basically ala carte on D&D Beyond.
That turned into supercharged debate about whether guns fit or belong in the classic fantasy setting typically associated with D&D. Inver did her best to moderate. The debate starts somewhere around the 30-minute mark.
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. For this episode, we've got deep dives on White Wolf becoming an independent studio again, and a dive into the magic system of Mage: The Ascension.
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

Event Recap | Amazement at Animazement | GGP

This one might be a little inside baseball. Brandon, Art, and Josh vended at Animazement over Memorial Day weekend and it was our first time at that con. Apparently, it's the largest anime convention in North Carolina. We're also pretty sure it was our first time just working a con as vendors -- no special guest privileges or anything. It was fun, and it gave us a little more insight on hobby economics in the current climate. 
Animazement is our fourth North Carolina anime convention. We realized when driving down there that we go to more conventions in NC than in VA.
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

Event Recap | PAX East, Chaos & Channel Updates | GGP

Josh tapped out this week, so it's up to Brandon and Inver after what feels like forever since the last recording. Inver's fresh (and tired) from PAX East in Boston and Brandon just finished putting together some prototypes for a new game accessory idea we're trying out.
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

News | D&D’s New Creative Commons Rules Explained | GGP

Amazingly, Wizards of the Coast is putting the new 2024* rules into Creative Commons! We talk about the implications and issues there, along with a bizarre tangent about "Three's Company."
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

News | TTRPG Tariffs Shake the Industry | GGP

Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
Really not a political episode. Really. 
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

Interview | Book of Extinction, a Bestiary of Extinct and Fantastic Creatures | GGP

Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Friend about the Goblins and Growlers Podcast.
→ Bonus episodes and early access on Patreon (http://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers)→ Subscribe to our monthly gaming newsletter (https://goblinsandgrowlers.beehiiv.com/subscribe) → Join the Goblins and Growlers Discord (http://bit.ly/goblindiscord)
This week, I had the chance to FINALLY connect with Lucas Zellers of Mage Hand Press about "Book of Extinction," which he's been working on for more than four years. It's an amazing bestiary that's really more like four books in one. I have so much to say about this book, but you can listen/watch the podcast to hear it all. We also have a couple of Deep Dives with Lucas on Patreon: We discuss the saddest extinction stories in the book and then, next week, we talk about his newest project, "Glatisant," which he wrote while shifting gears after the completion of "Book of Extinction."
Lucas Zellers is an author and game designer at the intersection of natural history and game design. A marketing professional by day, educator by later in the day, and birdwatcher by whenever possible, Lucas helps mission-driven organizations of all sizes reach the right audiences through sustainable long-term growth strategies. He's also one half of Graftbound, an independent publisher of incisive, tactile games that explore life's richest relationships. He'll always play a warlock, roll a chunky d20, or add too much garlic.
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)

Everyone Should Know About This | GGP

You know how some podcasts don't dedicate the whole episode to one topic and instead have a genuine discussion without knowing where it's going? We tried that today and went in a lot of directions, including Hasbro's (and thusly Wizards of the Coast's) Q4 and total year earnings, Final Fantasy games, and so much more!
Check us out on Patreon (http://www.patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers) for bonus Deep Dive videos along with early access to the video and audio of the podcast. 
LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE!
If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and/or your podcatcher of choice. You can find and/or support us at all the places below:
https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers
https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers
https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best narrative play)