Continue with the awesome!

p.s. Smith! talk more! We want to hear you too!

Also what version do they play? If it’s 3.5 “it’s not D&D anymore” is a strange thing to say since it’s radically different from 2nd edition. 4th and 3rd have more in common than 3rd and 2nd.

He’d be the best Pope since Cerebus the Aardvark.

And in case it isn’t obvious, I love the podcast, and have started downloading the Major Spoilers podcasts because of it.

I can see how Matthew is that player every GM wants to smack upside the head. I’ve felt exactly the same way more than once, and would almost pity Rodrigo if I weren’t laughing so hard.

Especially I’d think hard about it for Orem. Steven is a new player and still occasionally stumbles with tactics. Like forgetting to use Wand of Accuracy when he threw out that Force Orb during a desperate battle. Adding another complicated variable to track just seems to be borrowing trouble.

Also, to be honest, if Orem wants to pretend he’s going to use that sword for anything other than lighting campfires, he needs to get his defenses up there. Leather Armor proficiency is far more critical right now for Orem.

The entire party is fairly squishy, especially against the defenses spellcasters target, and Randus simply cannot support the healing load of Torq, Smith, *and* Orem exposed to incoming attacks.

also some astute observations Webmetz. Statistically Randus’ familiar IS a disembodied hand.

It would be nice to see the character sheets for each character as they progress in level.

Also I would like explanations during the show on readying actions (PH 291), delaying turns and crawling (PH 288), knocking enemies unconscious (PH 295), contributing to skill checks (PH 287), and Squeezing and Total Defense (PH 292),

I was also intrigued about Randis’s ‘familiar’. So I started looking through issues of Dragon Magazine and found a chapter called “Familiars by Artifice” in Dragon #377.
I looked and looked and could not find anything similar to his familiar among the crafter familiars. So I did a little more searching and found a chapter called “Get Familiar” in Dragon #374. Looking around, I found a familiar called Disembodied Hand.
The stats of it are as follows:
Disembodied Hand Familiar
This hand crawls around using its digits, and it can expertly manipulate items.
Speed 6, climb 2
Constant Benefits
You can retrieve or stow an item as a free action instead of as a minor action.
Active Benefits
Agile Digits: A disembodied hand can open latches and turn knobs that require only one hand to operate. It can also manipulate objects to make Thievery checks. It gains a +2 bonus to such checks.
There is no rule that you can’t change the form of a familiar to be something else is there? Since seeing as his bug assistant helps him with Quick Reloading and has picked locks in the past (I think…not sure on it would have to go back and check) it would make sense for it to have stats similar to the Disembodied Hand.

Some other interesting artificer familiars are: Clockwork Scorpion (would allow injection of oils on enemies), Soarwood Wings (would allow flight for someone once per encounter), Warforged Faceplate (Would allow Randis to sleep and take watch at the same time…)

Also speaking of familiars, I still think Orren could use one. Some Heroic tier familiars I think he could get use of are:
Tome Caddy (In both passive and active mode would allow him to wield tomes as if they were wands or any other implement for that matter. When active it would allow him to wield a tome without actually equipping it, thus leaving his hands free for a sword. Also buffs dungeoneering and arcana by 2. BEST ONE I have seen for Orren),
Book imp (buffs arcana and history, also give resist fire), Dragonling (encounter:would allow him to use a blast attack via the dragonling, would buff surges, and allow him to speak draconic),
Arcane Eye (Encounter: Cast a ranged implement spell from the eye, buff perception and insight).

Hmmm, could smith use a familiar? If he would it would have to be something chaotic or amorphous in order to complement his nature. Floating Weapon, Ooze, Arcane Eye…

Anyway – my compliments to your innovative approach to playing/recording the sessions. It’s impressive how seamless everything sounds… just like you’re all at the table.

Kudos to Matthew for the brilliant way you RP Torq. Every few minutes I find myself laughing out loud over his antics. Love it.

I’m an old vet gamer myself – started back in 1979 or so with Basic D&D. Things have changed a lot in 4E (some would say too much). Even though a few of you are fairly new to 4E, you guys keep it approachable and thoroughly entertaining.

How far do you guys plan to take the adventures of Torq and the Torquettes?

Keep it up!

The only downside is, now that you’ve made me want to play this game, I can’t find people to play D&D 4 ! All the dungeoneers I know refuse to even hear about it ; they say although it may be good, in their eyes it’s not D&D anymore. It’s even a roleplaying game anymore, they say, it’s become a board game. I don’t think I’d have time to dm a game anyway…

Anyway, looking forward to the next one. And I gotta say, I don’t know how Randus managed to keep his cool when facing the Thing That Shatters the Sky…Even as a player, when confronted by a Most Elder and Scary Thing, I’d probably be shaking in my boots.

Keep up the great work !