What is 13th Age?
13th Age is a d20 pen and paper game, based off of Dungeons & Dragons, but with significant improvements (in my opinion, at least) both mechanically and narratively. Some highlights include the escalation die, which speeds up combat, icon dice, which give narrative control over to the players, and the replacement of a list of skills by free form backgrounds created by the players. It’s an extremely fun game, that can create some interesting fantasy stories.
Okay, but what is this?
This is an actual play of a 13th Age campaign, run by myself starring dijon du jour, Shell_Game, beezleboob, and Roy (I don’t think he has an internet name). It’s a story about a bunch of weirdos trying to save the world from an oncoming disaster, while also trying to find themselves and their place within a world caught between a dying age and the start of a new one.
Update Schedule
Updates are currently scheduled to go up on Fridays; this includes the normal episode plus any associated fireside chats.
Wait, what’re “fireside chats?” Should I be listening to them?
Due to time constraints (Roy has to be up early for work, and I have to teach on Mondays), our sessions normally run about two hours, which we find to not be enough time to really say everything that needs to be said. Fireside chats are pure role play sessions, usually directed and organized by the players for those moments when they’re not out doing quests and whatnot; very rarely will I be involved in them, and, while they’re not required listening, they do tie into the main plot, so listening will enhance your experience. Plus, I personally think they’re some of the best bits we’ve recorded.
The Cast
Apolena Noc is a Wotan (more commonly called “raven-folk”) from the Wastes, and the self appointed “Ambassador of Dragons.” A bard of the Three, it is Apolena’s goal to unite chromatic and metallic dragons, and, if you believe her, she’s been chosen by Aurum Rex to do so. A kind and gentle soul, she’d much rather talk than fight, but if push comes to shove, she’s more than capable of handling herself.
More recently, she’s gone missing! Oh no!
Even more recently, she seems to have teamed up with the Queen of Hell, for some unknown reason! And she has a crown now? Full of strange magical stones? How’d that happen?
Apolena was played by Shell_Game.
Blaze Fox is a mustelian, a race of weasel people from deep inside the Wild Wood. He was once a magician of some repute, but after a falling out with his organization, he locked his magic away, vowing never to use it again; in the process, he managed to fracture his spirit, spinning off different versions of himself and sundering his personality. Now he’s seeking the lost bits of himself, though he isn’t exactly making much of an effort.
Blaze has finally accepted magic back into his life, making things much more… chaotic for the rest of the party.
Blaze Fox is played by the Heavenator.
Dawn is a pixie, a construct created by the Fey Queen and the Thrice-Wise Magus, primarily to guard ancient fey tombs. Due to being one of the earliest pixies constructed, Dawn displayed unacceptable levels of independence and thought and was promptly left in the woods to die. Instead, she made her way to a city, learned magic, became a wizard, and earned herself a position at New Axis’ Imperial Academy of the Arcane Arts library as its head librarian. Now she’s wandering around looking for new books to read. Yes, really.
Dawn is played by beezleboob.
Hammer is a dwarf-forged, a machine made to serve the Glittering King’s subjects. For some unknown reason, Hammer developed independence and a sense of self and promptly left dwarven society, in search of something more. He found it, when a chance encounter with some halfling priests showed him the light of religion. Now he wanders, tending to the sick and helping the poor all in the name of [ERROR DEITY NAME NOT FOUND].
More recently, he’s decided to escort the kobolds saved from the Temple of the White to Diktionarie. He has promised to meet the party again, at some point.
Hammer was played by Roy.
Hugh Manmon is a Capricorn demon from Hell, and a loyal subject of the Queen of Hell. Thanks to a bureaucratic snafu, Hugh has found himself the only free demon in all of Hell and the mortal world; since his exile from Hell, Hugh has been eating souls, summoning the undead, and building complex "dungeons" for would be adventurers to practice on. As far as most people are concerned, Hugh is a completely normal human person, thanks to his hellish glamour.
Hugh is played by dijon du jour.
Lt. Marshall Broadmoor is an agent of the Free City Council, part cult buster, part fixer, and part bureaucrat; despite his somewhat strange job, he is a capable fighter and leader of men, using his superior knowledge of tactics to aid his allies upon the battlefield. How he came to work for the Free City Council is somewhat of a mystery the lieutenant would rather not speak upon…
Lt. Broadmoor is played by Roy.
Teus Heeren is an inventor who only wants to help people; unfortunately everything he invents somehow, someway hurts people. Its really not his fault though; some demonic bureaucracy maybe got messed up and a curse meant for his father (one of the Empire’s greatest inventors) kinda sorta attached itself to him. After doing some accidental murders while trying to help a town rebuild, he was put on the Empire’s list of criminals and sent to the Temple of the White, where he was wisely put on house keeping duty for the Ebon Gauntlet camp, far away from anything that could be used to accidentally invent something. His “companions” are three robots, all of which, despite their intended function, are extremely deadly and combat capable.
Teus is played by Brutus Salad.
Squire Shoesnak is a kobold (maybe?), and also a very good boy. He’s a real squire and, using all his money (about two gold), he hired Hugh to escort him around in hopes of finding his knights. He’s brave, eccentric, and all around the very model of a knightly squire.
Squire is played by dijon du jour.
Sir Hughsnak is a fusion of the demon Hugh Manmon and the kobold Squire Shoesnak; taking from Squire’s carefree attitude and Hugh’s drive to protect his friends, Hughsnak will always be there for his friends, come Hell or high water. He’s brave, bold, caring, and a little uninspired (seriously, look at that name!), but most of all he’s a great friend.
Sir Hughsnak is played by dijon du jour.
Spawn is a fusion of Hugh and Dawn and almost certainly knows everything about anything, which is why they’re constantly bored out of their skull. They combine Dawn and Hugh’s mother hen tendency to become the ultimate parent!
Spawn is played by both beelzeboob and dijon du jour.
Twilight is a fusion of Dawn and her sister Dusk; their combined knowledge and magical might makes Twilight a fearsome enemy, as she is able to sling both fantastic fae magics and deadly demonic spells.
Twilight is played by beelzeboob.
The Vertex Perfected is a fusion between Hugh and The Plump Vertex, resulting in… some sort of strange, chaotic being more like a cartoon than a ship or a demon. The Vertex Perfected combines the ship’s powerful weapons with Hugh’s demonic abilities, creating the ultimate, if slightly weird, living airship.
The Vertex Perfected is played by dijon du jour.
Episode 1
Episode 2
The Lost Session
Episode 3
Fireside Chat 1
Episode 4
Fireside Chat 2
Episode 5
Fireside Chat 3
Episode 6
Fireside Chat 4
Episode 7
Fireside Chat 5
Episode 8
Episode 9
Fireside Chat 6
Episode 10
Fireside Chat 7
Episode 11
Fireside Chat 8
Episode 12
Fireside Chat 9
Episode 13
Fireside Chat 10
Episode 14
Episode 15
Episode 16
Episode 17
Episode 18
Episode 19
Episode 20
Fireside Chat 11
Episode 21
Episode 22
Episode 23
Episode 24
Episode 25
Episode 26
Episode 27
Episode 28
Fireside Chat 12
Episode 29
Episode 30
Episode 31
Fireside Chat 13
Episode 32
Episode 33
Episode 34
Episode 35
Episode 36
Fireside Chat 14
Episode 37
Episode 38
Episode 39
Episode 40
Episode 41
Episode 42
Fireside Chat 15
Episode 43
Episode 44
Episode 45
Episode 46
Episode 47
Episode 48
Episode 49
Episode 50
Episode 51
Episode 52
Episode 53
Episode 54
Fireside Chat 23
Episode 55
Episode 56
Episode 57
Fireside Chat 24
Episode 58
Episode 59
Episode 60
Fireside Chat 25
Episode 61
Episode 62
Episode 63
Fireside Chat 26
Episode 64
Episode 65
Episode 66
Episode 67
Episode 68
Episode 69
Episode 70
Episode 71
Episode 72
Episode 73
Episode 74
Episode 75
Episode 76
Episode 77
Fireside Chat 27
Episode 78
Fireside Chat 28
Episode 79
Episode 80
Episode 81
Episode 82
Fireside Chat 29
The Village of Memories
Episode 83
Episode 84
Episode 85
Fireside Chat 30
Episode 86
Episode 87
Episode 88
Episode 89
Fireside Chat 31
Episode 90
Episode 91
Episode 92
Episode 93
Episode 94
Episode 95
Episode 96
Episode 97
I really am enjoying playing this game, and I can’t wait to see where it goes~
