Episode 13 of Discern Realities is here!

Episode 13 of Discern Realities is here!

Episode 13 of Discern Realities is here! A quick note about the magic item contest: the deadline for submissions is April 3rd at 12:00 pm EST. You can paste the text of your item in the comments on this post. 

What Happened Here Recently? (00:22)

All hands on deck to take down a dragon

What Should I Be on the Lookout For? (05:54)

Vincent Baker’s The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/117258/The-Seclusium-of-Orphone-of-the-Three-Visions

What Here is Not What it Appears to Be? (10:23)

The Mage playbook

What Here is Useful or Valuable to Me? (20:01)

josh gary’s The Origami Bestiary (20:43)

The Marvelous Scabbard of Bran Baereddyn (22:14)

Christopher Sniezak’s The Chromatic Cup (23:50)

What Is About to Happen? (26:01)

What is Domenico trying to find at Iotho’s party? (26:30)

The curse of the Castafiels (27:22)

The Unseen Servant (28:15)

Edvard the Majordomo (30:30)

Social cat & mouse (32:00)

Domenico’s deal with Edvard (35:13)

http://discernrealities.libsyn.com/episode-13

70 thoughts on “Episode 13 of Discern Realities is here!”

  1. In many of the stories, the scabbard of Excalibur was actually the more important magic item. It granted Arthur protection from “man made” weapons.

  2. In many of the stories, the scabbard of Excalibur was actually the more important magic item. It granted Arthur protection from “man made” weapons.

  3. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve caught up with Discern Realities and I’m about two thirds of the way through The Gauntlet Podcast. They have been a real pleasure to listen to. 

  4. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve caught up with Discern Realities and I’m about two thirds of the way through The Gauntlet Podcast. They have been a real pleasure to listen to. 

  5. Jason Cordova and David LaFreniere I am glad y’all like my magic item. Jason Cordova to address your concern about the attack, when you get a paper cut is the paper destroyed? The answer is no, it wounds you but unless you attack it, it stays the same.

  6. Jason Cordova and David LaFreniere I am glad y’all like my magic item. Jason Cordova to address your concern about the attack, when you get a paper cut is the paper destroyed? The answer is no, it wounds you but unless you attack it, it stays the same.

  7. I probably should have used “tags” in my description. I went with “enhancements” because that is how these particular tags are described in the Fighters playbook when you build their signature weapon.

  8. I probably should have used “tags” in my description. I went with “enhancements” because that is how these particular tags are described in the Fighters playbook when you build their signature weapon.

  9. Item:

    A pouch full of feathers (3 ammo, 1 weight) – when you pick one or two of the feathers from the pouch and let them drop, they burst into small, brightly colored, rather agitated birds.  Toss one or two feathers at a time and it’ll last indefinitely.  Toss a handful all at once and mark off 1 ammo.  

  10. Item:

    A pouch full of feathers (3 ammo, 1 weight) – when you pick one or two of the feathers from the pouch and let them drop, they burst into small, brightly colored, rather agitated birds.  Toss one or two feathers at a time and it’ll last indefinitely.  Toss a handful all at once and mark off 1 ammo.  

  11. ##Smokeless Pipe

    The faint scent of cherry tobacco lingers on the edges of the dark stained wood.  Inside, a smoky quartz crystal flickers with an inner fire.

    When you light your pipe, the full richness of the taste relaxes your body.  You may make camp without consuming a ration.

    ##Brass Kettle

    At every meal, and at every ceremony, the whistling of well loved and well worn brass kettles heralds good health, and some say the secrets of eternal life.  But while many praise the leaves, no one pays much attention to what holds the brew.

    Heals 1HP; bandages soaked in it auto-stabilizes

    ##Travelers Notebooks

    Batachikhan the League Strider traveled across the three continents, yet his hands were the most worn of his body.  He always wrote home to his mother, to tell her the amazing things he had seen.

    Whatever you write in one, appears in another.  May or may not be found in pairs.

    ##Adamantine Doily

    Osol was finally able to combine his two greatest joys in his old age:  metalworking & crocheting

    It’ll protect the shit out of your tea table.

    ##Telescoping Cup

    Hulagu was never to be found without a bottle of razorvine wine, and she always seemed to know where to go for another.

    Functions as a collapsible mug.  If filled with a liquid and pressed to the eye like a telescope, it will show the user the nearest location of enough of that liquid to fill a bottle.

    ##The Gauntlet

    A worn metal glove, lovingly cared for by it’s master.  While many blades have passed through it’s grip, the real treasure were the hands it clasped in friendship.

    When worn, the user can always recall a moment of true friendship and is filled with a sense happiness, tinged with a slight hint of nostalgia for times long gone.

  12. ##Smokeless Pipe

    The faint scent of cherry tobacco lingers on the edges of the dark stained wood.  Inside, a smoky quartz crystal flickers with an inner fire.

    When you light your pipe, the full richness of the taste relaxes your body.  You may make camp without consuming a ration.

    ##Brass Kettle

    At every meal, and at every ceremony, the whistling of well loved and well worn brass kettles heralds good health, and some say the secrets of eternal life.  But while many praise the leaves, no one pays much attention to what holds the brew.

    Heals 1HP; bandages soaked in it auto-stabilizes

    ##Travelers Notebooks

    Batachikhan the League Strider traveled across the three continents, yet his hands were the most worn of his body.  He always wrote home to his mother, to tell her the amazing things he had seen.

    Whatever you write in one, appears in another.  May or may not be found in pairs.

    ##Adamantine Doily

    Osol was finally able to combine his two greatest joys in his old age:  metalworking & crocheting

    It’ll protect the shit out of your tea table.

    ##Telescoping Cup

    Hulagu was never to be found without a bottle of razorvine wine, and she always seemed to know where to go for another.

    Functions as a collapsible mug.  If filled with a liquid and pressed to the eye like a telescope, it will show the user the nearest location of enough of that liquid to fill a bottle.

    ##The Gauntlet

    A worn metal glove, lovingly cared for by it’s master.  While many blades have passed through it’s grip, the real treasure were the hands it clasped in friendship.

    When worn, the user can always recall a moment of true friendship and is filled with a sense happiness, tinged with a slight hint of nostalgia for times long gone.

  13. josh gary I guess when I think about combat in DW, each ‘hit’ is actually a series of blows, back and forth, between you and the enemy. It’s a sequence, with one (or both) of you taking some damage at the end. I guess I figured if the origami beast got involved in the combat at all, it would get torn up in the process. That said, it’s not a huge deal. It makes just as much sense that it wouldn’t.

  14. josh gary I guess when I think about combat in DW, each ‘hit’ is actually a series of blows, back and forth, between you and the enemy. It’s a sequence, with one (or both) of you taking some damage at the end. I guess I figured if the origami beast got involved in the combat at all, it would get torn up in the process. That said, it’s not a huge deal. It makes just as much sense that it wouldn’t.

  15. Jason Cordova good point I did not think it in that way, but it certainly makes plenty of sense. I guess the GM could always have an enemy NPC target it directly to destroy it as well.

  16. Jason Cordova good point I did not think it in that way, but it certainly makes plenty of sense. I guess the GM could always have an enemy NPC target it directly to destroy it as well.

  17. David LaFreniere I was thinking more along the lines of Messy, Piercing, Forceful…that sort of thing. That way if you were fighting on a bridge you might choose forceful but may go with piercing if you’re having a hard time getting through armor.

  18. David LaFreniere I was thinking more along the lines of Messy, Piercing, Forceful…that sort of thing. That way if you were fighting on a bridge you might choose forceful but may go with piercing if you’re having a hard time getting through armor.

  19. The Skull of the Lost God.

    A flawless purple gemstone replica of a human skull. Upon close inspection, the skull’s details are absolutely perfect down to the teeth roots visible in the skull’s jawbone. This artifact was clearly not carved by human hands.

    When you touch the skull of the lost god with your bare hands for the first time, roll – Int (yes, minus). On a 6-, you become the new host for the lost god living in the skull. On a 7-9, you guard the skull covetously, refusing to let it go. On a 10+, you resist the lost god’s influence.

    When the skull is wrenched from your grasp roll + Wis. On a 6-, take d10 damage and – 1 ongoing until you rest. On a 7-9, take 1 ongoing until you rest. On a 10+, no additional consequences.

    When the lost god’s host or one of its servants touches a fresh corpse, it turns into an undead servant able to follow simple telepathic commands, and to use simple tools and weapons.

    When you look the lost god’s host’s in the eye, roll + Wis. On a 6 -, you become transfixed, unable to move, until the host breaks eye contact. On a 7-9, you cannot move towards the host until it breaks eye contact. On a 10+, you behave normally.

    When you attempt to destroy the skull by dissolving it in an alchemical cocktail or in the heart of a volcano, the skull is destroyed.

    When you attempt to destroy the skull by holy magic, the skull turns clear and cannot use it telepathic powers for a year.

    When you attempt to damage the skull by physical force, the skull is unaffected.

    This item is as much a campaign primer as a item.

  20. The Skull of the Lost God.

    A flawless purple gemstone replica of a human skull. Upon close inspection, the skull’s details are absolutely perfect down to the teeth roots visible in the skull’s jawbone. This artifact was clearly not carved by human hands.

    When you touch the skull of the lost god with your bare hands for the first time, roll – Int (yes, minus). On a 6-, you become the new host for the lost god living in the skull. On a 7-9, you guard the skull covetously, refusing to let it go. On a 10+, you resist the lost god’s influence.

    When the skull is wrenched from your grasp roll + Wis. On a 6-, take d10 damage and – 1 ongoing until you rest. On a 7-9, take 1 ongoing until you rest. On a 10+, no additional consequences.

    When the lost god’s host or one of its servants touches a fresh corpse, it turns into an undead servant able to follow simple telepathic commands, and to use simple tools and weapons.

    When you look the lost god’s host’s in the eye, roll + Wis. On a 6 -, you become transfixed, unable to move, until the host breaks eye contact. On a 7-9, you cannot move towards the host until it breaks eye contact. On a 10+, you behave normally.

    When you attempt to destroy the skull by dissolving it in an alchemical cocktail or in the heart of a volcano, the skull is destroyed.

    When you attempt to destroy the skull by holy magic, the skull turns clear and cannot use it telepathic powers for a year.

    When you attempt to damage the skull by physical force, the skull is unaffected.

    This item is as much a campaign primer as a item.

  21. The Reaper’s Own Cloak

    We’ve all heard the tale of Elmdren Spidersilk and how he cheated Death. Many claim it is merely an old myth or a delightful folktale for late evenings by the fire. Never the less, there are some details that may point toward an actual event. As you may recall, Elmdren didn’t just steal his own life back. He even stole the cloak right off the Grim Reaper’s back!

    That cloak is real. There is an ash colored cloak, that surfaces from time to time, with strange properties. Some say it can bring the dead back to life. Others claim it can kill a perfectly healthy person.

    When you lay down next to a person who is drawing their last breath and spread the cloak over you, roll.

    * 10+ Narrate how you manage to guide the dying person back to life.

    * 7-9 The dying person returns to the living but you must now negotiate with death.

    I’ll leave the low rolls to the GM’s discretion. Both people dying could certainly be an option though. The idea is for this to be used when a PC loses all their HP but before they roll their Last Breath.

    I think it could be the a fun trigger for a compendium class available only to those who were willing to take the gamble.

  22. The Reaper’s Own Cloak

    We’ve all heard the tale of Elmdren Spidersilk and how he cheated Death. Many claim it is merely an old myth or a delightful folktale for late evenings by the fire. Never the less, there are some details that may point toward an actual event. As you may recall, Elmdren didn’t just steal his own life back. He even stole the cloak right off the Grim Reaper’s back!

    That cloak is real. There is an ash colored cloak, that surfaces from time to time, with strange properties. Some say it can bring the dead back to life. Others claim it can kill a perfectly healthy person.

    When you lay down next to a person who is drawing their last breath and spread the cloak over you, roll.

    * 10+ Narrate how you manage to guide the dying person back to life.

    * 7-9 The dying person returns to the living but you must now negotiate with death.

    I’ll leave the low rolls to the GM’s discretion. Both people dying could certainly be an option though. The idea is for this to be used when a PC loses all their HP but before they roll their Last Breath.

    I think it could be the a fun trigger for a compendium class available only to those who were willing to take the gamble.

  23. Smoke of the Emerald Mountain Blossom:

    Dragons and all their kind love expensive and rare things.  Nothing is more decadent than burning this flower which only blooms at the storm shrouded peak of the emerald mountains during rare moments of clement weather.  When the contents of this vial are added to a flame it produces a fume that most people would call pleasant.  Any dragon or draconic creature that inhales the fumes will become intoxicated and generally adopt a friendly, talkative even helpful mood.  Each application only lasts for a short time however and a prolonged conversation may require several uses.  Roll a d6 after each use.  The vial is emptied after the first roll of 1.

  24. Smoke of the Emerald Mountain Blossom:

    Dragons and all their kind love expensive and rare things.  Nothing is more decadent than burning this flower which only blooms at the storm shrouded peak of the emerald mountains during rare moments of clement weather.  When the contents of this vial are added to a flame it produces a fume that most people would call pleasant.  Any dragon or draconic creature that inhales the fumes will become intoxicated and generally adopt a friendly, talkative even helpful mood.  Each application only lasts for a short time however and a prolonged conversation may require several uses.  Roll a d6 after each use.  The vial is emptied after the first roll of 1.

  25. The Shadow Door Knob

    1 weight

    Stick this oddly dark brass door knob into any shadow. Turn the knob and open a door made from the shadow, step through the door and instantly appear in any other shadow near by.

    10+

    You appear in the shadow you intended.

    7-9 GM picks one

    You end up in the wrong shadow.

    You get lost in the shadows so you take a long time traveling between them.

    You get stuck in a shadow and cannot leave it until the shadow is completely eliminated.

    6-

    GM makes a move

    The Silver Mirror of Reflected Sins

    1 weight

    This shinny mirror contains the Seven Deadly Sins. When you look into the mirror a twisted version of yourself consumed by one of the Seven Deadly Sins is reflected. For a short period of time you become consumed by the sin that was reflected. Beware if the mirror is ever broken the Seven Deadly Sins will escape when they do, they take on the twisted form of the closest person, and will wreak havoc on this world.

    GM describes what you see in the mirror and picks one

    Greed: You have an intense desire for money, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of increasing your wealth anyway you can.

    Envy: You have an intense desire for something someone else has, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of taking that item.

    Wrath: You have an intense feeling of anger, until this passes you become frenzied and attack anyone near you.

    Sloth: You have an intense desire to sleep, until this passes you will be unable to awake from sleep.

    Gluttony: You have an intense feeling of hunger, until this passes you will eat everything editable in the area.

    Lust: You have an intense desire for one of your companions, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose to win the love on one of that companion.

    Pride: You have an intense desire for glory, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of you taking the glory in the current situation.

    The Bronze Mirror of Reflected Sins

    1 weight

    This shinny mirror looks into the heart of anyone who looks in it. The reflection will show what will become of you, if you were to allow yourself to become consumed by the which ever one of the Seven Deadly Sins you struggle with the most. After looking into the mirror a brand will appear somewhere on your skin showing which of the Seven Deadly Sins you struggle with the most.

    Player describes what they see in the mirror and picks one

    Greed: Fox

    Envy: Serpent

    Wrath: Dragon

    Sloth: Grizzly

    Gluttony: Boar

    Lust: Goat

    Pride: Lion

  26. The Shadow Door Knob

    1 weight

    Stick this oddly dark brass door knob into any shadow. Turn the knob and open a door made from the shadow, step through the door and instantly appear in any other shadow near by.

    10+

    You appear in the shadow you intended.

    7-9 GM picks one

    You end up in the wrong shadow.

    You get lost in the shadows so you take a long time traveling between them.

    You get stuck in a shadow and cannot leave it until the shadow is completely eliminated.

    6-

    GM makes a move

    The Silver Mirror of Reflected Sins

    1 weight

    This shinny mirror contains the Seven Deadly Sins. When you look into the mirror a twisted version of yourself consumed by one of the Seven Deadly Sins is reflected. For a short period of time you become consumed by the sin that was reflected. Beware if the mirror is ever broken the Seven Deadly Sins will escape when they do, they take on the twisted form of the closest person, and will wreak havoc on this world.

    GM describes what you see in the mirror and picks one

    Greed: You have an intense desire for money, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of increasing your wealth anyway you can.

    Envy: You have an intense desire for something someone else has, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of taking that item.

    Wrath: You have an intense feeling of anger, until this passes you become frenzied and attack anyone near you.

    Sloth: You have an intense desire to sleep, until this passes you will be unable to awake from sleep.

    Gluttony: You have an intense feeling of hunger, until this passes you will eat everything editable in the area.

    Lust: You have an intense desire for one of your companions, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose to win the love on one of that companion.

    Pride: You have an intense desire for glory, until this passes every move you make must have the intended purpose of you taking the glory in the current situation.

    The Bronze Mirror of Reflected Sins

    1 weight

    This shinny mirror looks into the heart of anyone who looks in it. The reflection will show what will become of you, if you were to allow yourself to become consumed by the which ever one of the Seven Deadly Sins you struggle with the most. After looking into the mirror a brand will appear somewhere on your skin showing which of the Seven Deadly Sins you struggle with the most.

    Player describes what they see in the mirror and picks one

    Greed: Fox

    Envy: Serpent

    Wrath: Dragon

    Sloth: Grizzly

    Gluttony: Boar

    Lust: Goat

    Pride: Lion

  27. These would be really fun to play with! I think it would be particularly fun to get a character that is always in control and have them look into the silver mirror.

  28. These would be really fun to play with! I think it would be particularly fun to get a character that is always in control and have them look into the silver mirror.

  29. Lester Ward We’ve actually already recorded the episode where we announce the winner, but at a glance this looks pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!

  30. Lester Ward We’ve actually already recorded the episode where we announce the winner, but at a glance this looks pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!

  31. Apologies for the thread necromancy, everyone. Jeremy Strandberg, do you care if we put the pouch of feathers in the Discern Realities Annual? We’ll credit you with it.

  32. Apologies for the thread necromancy, everyone. Jeremy Strandberg, do you care if we put the pouch of feathers in the Discern Realities Annual? We’ll credit you with it.

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