D&D CLASS SELECTION: It's like speed dating, but with swords and spell slots...
Release Date: 04/17/2025
PLANESCAPE POSTMORTEM 2 - Featuring Existential Dread, Multiversal Collapse, and a Quasit with a Lot of Opinions
The RPGBOT.Podcast
What do you get when you mix a disappearing god, a multiverse glitch, and a talking squirrel? Apparently, therapy. Show Notes: In this second helping of the Ash Ely Planescape Postmortem, the hosts dissect the juicy narrative meat of a campaign marinated in memory loss, Mind Flayers, and metaphysical trauma. From the desperate hunt for Orochalcum to the chaos of battling Cathraxus (yes, that Cathraxus), our hosts recount the highs, lows, and emotional collateral damage of storytelling across the planes. The episode dives deep into the decisions that shaped the campaign—like letting players...
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PLANESCAPE, AN RPGBOT.POSTMORTEM - Asher's Weird, Wonderful Multiverse
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts gather for a postmortem discussion on Ash Ely’s recent Planescape campaign—a wild ride through the Outer Planes where philosophy hits like a fireball and bureaucracy is deadlier than any dragon. With plenty of laughs and genuine reflection, the crew discusses their favorite moments, mechanical experiments, player decisions, and the challenges of storytelling in a setting where time is subjective, death is optional, and your base of operations might just be a sentient castle. This is a deep-dive into what makes a great campaign weirdly...
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ABBERATIONS: Nothing says 'Fun Game Night' like Psychic Trauma!
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this Remastered Episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we summon the horrors that make your players ask, ‘Can I roll to nope?’ In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team delves into the weird, the squishy, and the utterly incomprehensible world of Aberrations—those delightful horrors that break the rules of reality and challenge players’ expectations. From Mind Flayers to Gibbering Mouthers, the hosts explore how these creatures can be used to discomfort, disorient, and delight your game table. Whether you’re looking to run a horror campaign, design a disturbing encounter, or just want to...
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HORROR SUBCLASSES - D&D UA 2025: Screams from the Spreadsheet
The RPGBOT.Podcast
New horror subclasses just dropped, and we’re here to reanimate them, roast them, and regret reading the action economy aloud. Support our friends at , because your dungeon shouldn't look like it was sketched during a Zoom call. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT crew proves that horror isn’t just for the subclasses—it’s also in trying to sync microphones. After wrestling with some haunted audio gremlins, the hosts dive headfirst into the latest Unearthed Arcana drop from Wizards of the Coast, which brings a trio of spooky new subclass options to the D&D table. First up: the...
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STARFINDER GALAXY GUIDE REVIEWED! - Space is Weird, Math is Hard, Let's Play Anyway
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Crack open your Core Rulebook, dump stat Charisma, and calibrate your resolve points—because it’s time to roll initiative against entropy itself with the Starfinder Galaxy Guide, where space is weird, and the rules are weirder. This episode is brought to you by —because your players will never know you prepped their dungeon during the loading screen of Baldur’s Gate 3. In this multidimensional episode of The RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts open with an honest and humorous take on Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the emotional nuances surrounding both. The discussion then shifts into exciting...
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EVIL CHARACTERS (Remastered) - Dubious (anti)heroics
The RPGBOT.Podcast
If your evil character isn’t at least pretending to be helpful, they’re not evil—they’re just unemployed. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the dark, morally murky world of evil characters in tabletop RPGs. With Ash leading the charge, the conversation focuses on how to play a character with evil tendencies without destroying the game, the party, or your friendships. The hosts explore different shades of evil alignments, the narrative value of morally compromised PCs, and offer practical advice on how to maintain group cohesion when one of the players...
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OTHER WORLDS 3 RECAP - The Great Pizza Debate
The RPGBOT.Podcast
From pizza to invisibility puzzles and rogue mechanics, Episode 3 of Other Worlds takes you on a whirlwind ride through culinary hot takes, heist mechanics, and the joys (and pains) of Pathfinder 2. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT.Podcast team serves up a delightfully chaotic mix of culinary hot takes and deep tabletop RPG insights. Randall makes a chicken Caesar abomination. Tyler admits that he enjoys pineapple on pizza. The pizza talk eventually turns toward more tabletop territory, but not before a quick anecdote about a friend with a professional pizza oven makes...
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OTHER WORLDS 3 - Reflections, Revelations, and Really Weird Drinks
The RPGBOT.Podcast
This episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast is brought to you by Dungeon Flow. – Because your dungeon deserves more than graph paper and panic. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT crew mixes magical mayhem with mundane mischief. What begins with a hilarious debate on olives and grooming spirals into a multi-layered roleplaying session filled with stealthy maneuvers, magical puzzles, and mirrored mysteries. The players explore the social dynamics of fantasy bartending, wrestle with illusions and invisibility, and uncover a portal to a parallel world that forces them to confront questions of...
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LANGUAGES (Remastered) - Perfect for Parties that Talk First and Think Later
The RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the often-overlooked tool of language in tabletop RPGs—how it shapes worlds, defines characters, and enhances immersion. Whether it’s a dwarven curse word, a whispered draconic threat, or a gnomish pun that lands like a rock in a puddle, the power of language can turn a good campaign into an unforgettable one. The discussion explores the practical, narrative, and mechanical implications of language in TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The hosts share ideas for incorporating multilingualism into your campaign...
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W40K IMPERIUM MALEDICTUM HTP 4 - Episode Recap and How to Play Discussion
The RPGBOT.Podcast
Ever wonder what happens when you mix dark gods, self-driving cars, and a dysfunctional team of grimdark misfits with questionable decision-making skills? Welcome to the Warhammer 40K actual play recap you didn't know you needed. Episode Summary In this delightfully chaotic recap, the RPGBOT crew careens through a whirlwind of topics, from the pending excitement of new Pathfinder 2 classes to the mechanized nightmare of self-driving job loss. But the star of the show? A deep dive into the ridiculous, horrifying, and sometimes oddly comedic world of Warhammer 40k: Imperium Maledictum. The gang...
info_outlineNot sure which D&D class to start with? We break down the best and worst picks for new DnD players—featuring confused Wizards, exploding Artificers, and the ever-reliable Barbarian.
Summary
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts explore which Dungeons & Dragons classes are best suited for new players. With humor, experience, and a healthy dose of debate, they walk through the ins and outs of each class—from the accessible Fighter to the complicated Wizard—highlighting which choices provide a smooth introduction to tabletop RPGs and which might send new players reaching for the Player’s Handbook (and aspirin).
The discussion ranges from the brute-force appeal of the Barbarian to the arcane intricacies of spellcasters like the Sorcerer and Warlock. Along the way, the hosts consider how party composition, game length, and mechanical complexity should influence character selection, and they sprinkle in some banter about drink preferences to keep things lively. Whether you're a first-time adventurer or helping someone roll their first character, this episode provides a thoughtful—and often funny—guide to starting strong.
Links
- Content from RPGBOT.net
Key Takeaways:
General Advice for New Players:
- Class complexity varies dramatically and should be a key consideration for beginners.
- New players benefit greatly from having experienced players at the table.
- It’s okay to change classes as players get more comfortable with the game.
- Simpler classes help players stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
Class-by-Class Breakdown:
Artificer
- Highly versatile, but too complex for most beginners.
- Heavy reliance on magic items and systems mastery.
Barbarian
- Excellent starting class due to simplicity and durability.
- High hit points make them forgiving for mistakes.
Bard
- Complex with many strategic spell choices.
- Spell traps can confuse new players.
Cleric
- Highly versatile with a strong role in the party.
- Forgiving due to the ability to change prepared spells easily.
Druid
- Mechanically rich but overwhelming for new players.
- Requires understanding Wild Shape and extensive spellcasting.
Fighter
- The most beginner-friendly class.
- Few pitfalls and highly customizable.
Monk
- Fun but mechanically challenging.
- Not recommended for brand new players.
Paladin
- Durable and straightforward in combat.
- Introduces both martial and spellcasting elements in a manageable way.
Ranger
- Offers utility and moderate complexity.
- Flexible due to spell-switching mechanics.
Rogue
- Stealthy and skillful with few mechanical traps.
- A solid choice for new players who want to be clever.
Sorcerer
- Straightforward focus on damage, but can suffer from decision overload.
- Can be beginner-friendly if spells are chosen carefully.
Warlock
- Simple core mechanics, but pact and spell choices can create analysis paralysis.
- Very dependent on the build and playstyle.
Wizard
- One of the most complex classes due to extensive spell lists.
- Power spike at level 5 (Fireball) can feel rewarding.
- Requires patience and careful spell management.
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