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 CLICK HERE FOR NEWEST EPISODE Welcome to Mages & Murderdads! We are a show dedicated to playing the entirety of the Baldur’s Gate series (including spiritual successors) until time stops. This might be the only show dedicated to the Baldur’s Gate franchise, but we wouldn’t know, because we refuse to Google it. The Baldur’s Gate series is probably the most important thing humanity has ever produced, and it’s been Let’s Played to death. We wanted to make some videos about the series, but we weren’t necessarily down with the hyper-granular “what’s in this chest” material and dead time that’s inherent to any Let’s Play of a CRPG. So instead, every two weeks we each play through a chunk of the series with our characters, record our footage, and then talk about what we experienced in a sort-of LP, sort-of podcast style. We shoot the poo poo on the mechanics, characters, and story of this beloved series and occasionally go on tangents about Forgotten Realms lore and quinceaneras. It’s a fun time. We’re starting this thread on the forums when we start Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn because, frankly, that’s where we wanted to be the whole time. We both played this game as teenagers, and we’re looking forward to revisiting it together in this weird talk show format.  Baldur's Gate 2 is a very popular computer role-playing game released in the year 2000. A sequel to 1998's successful Baldur's Gate, both are isometric games where players take control of one or more adventurers who are trying to seek their destiny. Or fight their dad. Or something. It's a baroque and weird game series, and Baldur's Gate 2 is honestly the weirdest of the bunch. For the most part, we will be doing the explaining of things in the moment, but something of note is that this game takes place in official Dungeons & Dragons world of the Forgotten Realms. There is an immense amount of story baggage that comes with using that world, and we do our best to orient people within it. We're going to be slinging spells and slicing liches, and it is all going to be to the tune of the 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. It's unbelievably complicated, and at least one of us barely understands it, but we will all get there together.  Feel free to talk about stuff that happens after where we are in Baldur’s Gate 2, but please put them in spoiler tags so that we don’t get spoiled (there’s a lot we don’t remember) and so other people playing for the first time get to experience this weird and wild game as originally intended. PERMISSION This being a sort of in-progress show, we reached out to the mods about posting this thread. They gave us their blessing to make the post, and we're excited about playing through this game over the course of the next ??? months/years/centuries.   Ticklevarr Cameron plays human sorcerer who is, to put it lightly, terrible (we’re hoping he “gits gud” in this game). Ticklevarr is a milquetoast apologist for any and everything that authority tells him, and he’s loves to defend abstract conceptions of the State in the face of changing material conditions around him. He also loves Melf’s Minute Meteors!  Balthazar Danni plays a chaotic neutral half-orc barbarian named Balthazar that is constantly plagued by nuisance. Balthazar played through the first few hours of BG1 with a party and realized they were just holding him back. It’s been a solo run ever since. Berserk n’ merc every day.  Baldur’s Gate Episode 1 - Beginning of the entire show! Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Episode 12 - Start of Siege of Dragonspear Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn Episode 20 - Irenicus's Dungeon Episode 21 - Slums District Episode 22 - Temple District Episode 23 - Bridge District Episode 24 - Umar Hills Episode 25 - Planar Sphere Episode 26 - De'Arnise Keep Episode 27 - Trademeet Episode 28 - Windspear Hills Episode 29 - Docks District Episode 30 - Chapter 3 Quests Episode 31 - Chapter 4 - 1 Episode 32 - Chapter 4 - 2 Episode 33 - Chapter 5 Episode 34 - Chapter 6 Episode 35 Misc business, including strongholds Episode 36 - Chapter 7 - 1 Kunzelman fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Oct 12, 2017 |
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Mar 2, 2017 17:06
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 In this episode, we wake up in a dungeon and we don't know where we are. Balthazar is impatient. Ticklevarr talks to everyone possible. We realize that we are embroiled in some kind of conflict, and some editing has to be done to make a wizard battle more exciting for Danni. Most importantly, we realized how excited we are to play through the rest of this game. Episode 20
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Mar 2, 2017 17:06
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Hello all! I'm Danni and we are super-psyched to debut our first BG2 show here! We are in it for the long haul - I doubt we'll complete BG2 in fewer than 20 episodes!
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Mar 2, 2017 19:24
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I have actually been meaning to get into Baldur's Gate, but turned off by the fact it seems to very much expect the player to know the DnD mechanics and spells by heart, also by seemingly always fighting against stronger foes, which after years of conditioning by newer RPGs feels like I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. So listening to this actually has been helpful in clearing up some of the questions I've had and giving me pointers, and it works surprisingly well as a format, even though I was initially pretty skeptical about a podcast retelling one's playthroughs. Thanks! Also it's called podplay.
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Mar 19, 2017 10:13
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 In this, the 21st episode of Mages & Murderdads, we go to the circus. We learn a little bit about how Amn works, and Danni gets killed for roughly thirty solid hours by some randos in a tavern. We also meet Gaelan Bayle, fight for freedom, and become involved in the bloody resolution of an affair. It's a rip-roaring and weird episode, and it's setting us up for some really fun stuff going forward. If you're playing along at home, we did some Promenade and Slums quests in this episode, and the next episode will focus on the Temple district. Episode 21
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Mar 19, 2017 16:34
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steinrokkan posted:I have actually been meaning to get into Baldur's Gate, but turned off by the fact it seems to very much expect the player to know the DnD mechanics and spells by heart, also by seemingly always fighting against stronger foes, which after years of conditioning by newer RPGs feels like I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. I definitely agree with that player knowledge problem. We've both played these games a few times and we each have a pretty good understanding of 2nd Edition D&D, but I often feel a little lost in an encounter that is expecting me to pay very close attention to every specific action in every round of combat. I'm glad you're enjoying the show / podplay!
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Mar 19, 2017 16:36
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 In the 22nd episode of Mages & Murderdads, the team head over to the Temple District of Athkatla. What do they find there? Just a little ole group of friends that we like to call "a legitimate and serious religion here in the Forgotten Realms." Or, er, rather not. It's a cult. A cult of an unseeing eye. Danni goes into a building that he wasn't supposed to and meets a demon that he didn't want to. Everyone fights a lich, and some people have a better time of it than others. We think this is probably our best episode so far, and it's setting us up for a really great mystery in the Bridge District during next episode. Episode 22
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Apr 1, 2017 04:20
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This is a very good internet show and I am liking it a lot!
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Apr 2, 2017 05:01
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Why thank you! I was listening to some of our earlier stuff and I definitely think we've come into our own in BG2. I think Episode 22 is our best work so far (the engaging game content in the temple district certainly helped!)
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Apr 2, 2017 15:05
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 The twenty-third episode of Mages & Murderdads takes us to the Bridge District. In retrospect, this has never been my favorite zone of the game, and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that there just aren't that many adventures to go on here. We start this episode by taking on a classic "Big Question" about what kind of -mancy has been left out of the BG series, and then we just get right to business discussing the skinner murders and weird theater troupe shenanigans that are going on in this district. This is our first taste (in this game, anyway) of doing some extradimensional travel, and I'm sure we will have many more discussions of similar metaphysical quality in the episodes that follow. In the next episode, we're going to be pursuing a few plot threads (such as the Valygar quest and the skinner follow-up) to the Umar Hills! Episode 23
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Apr 13, 2017 17:09
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The pocket plane is definitely a cooler quest than the skinner. Also, it's definitely spelled "fowlomancy" and not some other way.
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Apr 14, 2017 21:52
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This series has inspired me to replay through the games again, especially since I haven't played Siege of Dragonspear before. Just want to say it's an awesome way to look at these games, since a full LP would be so hard to maintain interest in, and I look forward to each episode. I hope you guys will keep going past Baldur's Gate (Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, even stuff like the Temple of Elemental Evil). Old-school D&D tugs all my nostalgia strings.
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Apr 16, 2017 00:25
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The bridge isn't bad, it just has the unfortunate fate of being in the same game as all the other stuff in BG2 so its little flavor quest and NPC bits tend to be forgettable in comparison to... *flails arms wildly at the rest of Chapter 2 content, and also the entire rest of the game* e; put it this way, if it were in BG1, it'd be a standout area with a bonkers planar dungeon. In BG2 its just "nice" Willie Tomg fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Apr 16, 2017 |
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Apr 16, 2017 05:05
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Gully Foyle posted:This series has inspired me to replay through the games again, especially since I haven't played Siege of Dragonspear before. Just want to say it's an awesome way to look at these games, since a full LP would be so hard to maintain interest in, and I look forward to each episode. I hope you guys will keep going past Baldur's Gate (Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, even stuff like the Temple of Elemental Evil). Old-school D&D tugs all my nostalgia strings. We really appreciate the compliment on the format! It's been hard honing it in to something that works, but we think that we're on a roll now with BG2. We definitely want to keep going past the BG series, although what that might be is still really up in the air. We're open to suggestions, but we think it'll either be IWD or Planescape, with an eventual move into all of the other stuff and spiritual successors. It's going to be a massively long time until we get there, though. Willie Tomg posted:The bridge isn't bad, it just has the unfortunate fate of being in the same game as all the other stuff in BG2 so its little flavor quest and NPC bits tend to be forgettable in comparison to... *flails arms wildly at the rest of Chapter 2 content, and also the entire rest of the game* Yeah, this is a great point. It's great content in general (I mean, I remembered the skinner questline from the last time I played), and I think there's an NPC quest here that neither of us are doing that might fill out the district a little more?
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Apr 18, 2017 01:49
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 Sorry for the delay on this post! The twenty-fourth episode of Mages & Murderdads takes us to the scenic Umar Hills, a wonderful little world far outside the city of Athkatla. It is there that we learn about the trials and tribulations that can plague a town of something like fifteen people who are housed within three buildings. We talk to a wizard, fight a mimic, and then make our way into a dark temple of a forgotten god (who we have met before). There are puzzles, but none of them are answered with the word "murder" so they're pretty off-brand for this franchise. Each of us saves the little town. We also have a really long discussion about the nature of True Neutral. The next episode will take us to the Planar Sphere! Episode 24
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May 1, 2017 17:54
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Kunzelman forgot to mention a DRAMATIC confrontation with a shadowy dragon. That also happened this episode. Really crammed with content, this one.
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May 2, 2017 22:50
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 The twenty-fifth episode of Mages & Murderdads takes us back to the Slums District and into the Planar Sphere. When I played this game as a teen, this was one of my favorite quests, and you get to hear me go through some very weird whiplash as to the design of this entire section of the game on the show. We fight some golems, wander around in the Abyss, and we even talk about the Dark Sun campaign setting for way longer than you would ever expect anyone to. Chapter 2 is still trucking right along. The next episode will take us to De'Arnise Keep! Episode 25
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May 15, 2017 22:07
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 The twenty-sixth episode of Mages & Murderdads is all about going to De'Arnise Keep and helping Nalia retake her family castle. For the first time in quite a long time, we're disappointed in what happens in an episode! As Danni puts it, the treatment of the fighter stronghold quest seems roughly the equivalent of how fighters have been treated in D&D proper over the years. We also learn a little bit about the Flail of Ages, and we talk about how many Yuan-Ti have showed up in this game so far. It's a lot! The next episode will take us to the Windspear Hills! Episode 26
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May 27, 2017 17:29
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Are your episode only on YouTube? I have a terrible internet connection and was hoping I could download audio only. I haven't figured out how podcasts work yet but can't seem to find a mages and murderdads one in the feed search.
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Jun 3, 2017 04:02
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flashman posted:Are your episode only on YouTube? I have a terrible internet connection and was hoping I could download audio only. I haven't figured out how podcasts work yet but can't seem to find a mages and murderdads one in the feed search. I think they said they're working on some kind of audio podcast-friendly feed solution. Or maybe that was the new Spoiler Warning show. I tried various workarounds, but it looks like Google patched out all the ways you could create a podcast feed from playlists and such. Probably to promote subscribers to Youtube Red pay service, which you need to be able to turn off your phone screen while playing a video on the Youtube app.
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Jun 3, 2017 08:12
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flashman posted:Are your episode only on YouTube? I have a terrible internet connection and was hoping I could download audio only. I haven't figured out how podcasts work yet but can't seem to find a mages and murderdads one in the feed search. Right now the only place to find it is youtube - this is something I've been meaning to talk about with Kunzelman. We are going to be shaking things up very soon with a rebrand, and I think implementing an audio-only version would be totally doable! Thanks for the feedback!
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Jun 4, 2017 15:41
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 The twenty-seventh episode of Mages & Murderdads is all about going to Trademeet so that Mazzy doesn't leave Tickelvarr's party. Other stuff happens there, up to and including some animal attacks, skin dancer violence, and a drastic uptick in the genie count. We spent more time than you might think talking about what is up with druids, like, conceptually. We read through a D&D handbook for some guidance. A lot of good things happen in this episode, and we think that this stronghold quest might be one of the best ones. The next episode will ACTUALLY take us to the Windspeer Heeeells?! Episode 27
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Jun 8, 2017 19:42
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 The twenty-eighth episode of Mages & Murderdads takes us to the Windspear Hills, which is a real left turn from the last couple big things that we have done. It's a linear mission, and it begins with a really confusing event, but we ended up really enjoying it in its linearity. Along the way, we fight some golems, help some dryads, and deal with the god drat undead. There's a maze, which is about as exciting as a sewer level, but the debate about genies and constructs that happens is pretty good. We're also joined by an old friend that Balthazar went back in time to kill. It's a real doozy! We're headed to the docks next! Episode 28
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Jun 22, 2017 20:44
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 Whoa! Apologies on the lateness here! I worked on this post and just completely spaced on putting it up last Thursday! Heck. The twenty-ninthepisode of Mages & Murderdads takes us back to the capital of Amn. That's right! We're in the Docks District, and if you think we were confused about the logic and purpose behind druids, then you're in for a real adventure while we try to figure out why thieves guilds exist. We listen to the demands of the Shadow Thieves and get embroiled in their thief crap. We spend more time than you might think going in and out of the same tavern. Cmrn accidentally causes Jaheira to be cursed, and then he fixes it. It's a real rough time all over. In the next episode, we move to Chapter 3! Episode 29
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Jul 12, 2017 16:05
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 Did you know that there is content beyond chapter 2 of this game? We had heard rumors that there was a so-called "plot" to this game, but we couldn't believe what happened when we actually tried to get there. This is a special episode for a number of reasons (which episodes aren't special?!), but one of them is that we are taking different routes through this chapter. Balthazar is going into some crypts, and Ticklevarr is heading into the realm of thieves. Where do they end up? You have to listen to find out! In the next episode, we figure out what happened to Imoen and Irenicus?! Episode 30
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Jul 20, 2017 21:35
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This is a pretty neat episode as it's the first time our narrative paths really diverged! I'm looking forward to more episodes like this.
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Jul 21, 2017 04:08
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 In the thirty-first episode of this series, we go to the pirate town of Brynnlaw. We discover many things about its people, and more importantly, ourselves. We delve deep into the concept of "pirate law" in our attempt to figure out what truly grounds this society and its rich tapestry of might makes right rulership. We also learn about the legal power of assassins, duels, and sundry other things that exist nowhere else in this game. We also make our way to Spellhold, the place where Irenicus has been wrecking poo poo 24/7 for the past ten episodes. It's really rough in there. Just trashed out, really. In the next episode, we're going on a boat adventure (again!) Episode 31
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Aug 3, 2017 18:21
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 In the thirty-second episode of this longform series, we're looking at the back half of Chapter 4. As you might know, this entire section of the game is skippable, and to be honest, maybe that's for the better. We talk to pirates, different kinds of pirates, and fish people. This episode includes a very long digression about pantheons, portfolios, and the nature of godhood in the Forgotten Realms. I hope you are excited about that! In the next episode, we're going to the Underdark! Episode 32
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Aug 19, 2017 15:09
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  Wow! I've really dropped the ball on posting these here! In these two episodes, we've been making our way through the Underdark and then the very serious Sixth Chapter of BGII. We meet a lot of different creatures, and we also recruit some allies to our cause! In the next episode, we're going to be doing some GRAND WRAPUP as we trundle on toward the end of the game. Episode 33 Episode 34
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Sep 26, 2017 13:48
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I've enjoyed the banter and behind the scenes D&D lore. That thing where you do the wizard voice and the dude from LoTR pops up cracks me up every time. Looking forward to seeing you two play through more games.
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Sep 27, 2017 19:15
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FalloutGod posted:I've enjoyed the banter and behind the scenes D&D lore. That thing where you do the wizard voice and the dude from LoTR pops up cracks me up every time. Looking forward to seeing you two play through more games. We really appreciate it! We're doing the XCOM thing alongside the BG series, and we're of course going to continue into more isometric games after BG is finished.
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Oct 12, 2017 20:07
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  I dang goofed it again. Two more episodes, two times the amount of excellent content. In Episode 35, we did our stronghold quests, so you can finally know how Ticklevarr might train some apprentices and how Balthazar would manage a small kingdom. Things get weird, and we fight some vampires. In Episode 36, we return to the elven city to eat Irenicus's lunch. In the next episode, we're finishing the game! WHOA! Episode 35 Episode 36
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Oct 12, 2017 20:13
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