Welcome 2 Rule of Cool Podcast

Chris and James kick off a two-part deep dive into Dragon Magazine’s Top 20 D&D villains, armed with their brand new, highly scientific, and completely questionable “Rock Hard Rating” system.From Meepo (who might not even be a villain) to world-ending threats like Tharizdun, the duo attempt to separate the truly terrifying from the wildly overrated. Along the way, they question their own D&D knowledge, compare warforged to Terminators, and discover that some “legendary villains” are… a bit underwhelming.This is Part 1, covering the first 10 villains, expect chaos, sarcasm, and a rating system that absolutely shouldn’t be trusted.

Chris and James dive into the rise of geek culture, from mainstream comedy and SNL UK to Hollywood’s obsession with myth and nostalgia. As fantasy and fandom take centre stage, they explore what makes stories stick and why villains often steal the spotlight.Shifting into Dungeons & Dragons, the focus turns to iconic figures like Strahd and Vecna, questioning whether D&D truly delivers memorable antagonists or leans too heavily on familiar tropes. They debate what makes a great villain, from motivation and depth to sheer presence at the table.To wrap up, the hosts clash over inspiration mechanics, flexibility vs structure, and what really drives player engagement. Expect laughs, strong opinions, and a few takes that might divide the party.

In this episode, Chris and James dive into the chaos of Dungeons & Dragons, from TV portrayals in Ted and Community to the reality at the table. Because, despite the name, players aren’t always the problem, well, not always.They explore what really happens when carefully crafted plans fall apart, twists get guessed too early, and campaigns take unexpected turns, including opening a pizza shop mid-adventure. The conversation digs into the balance between player freedom and DM control, and why the best Dungeon Masters don’t fight chaos, they adapt to it.Expect stories of unpredictable players, questionable DM decisions, creative mechanics, and those unforgettable moments that no one planned, but everyone remembers.Because in D&D, the real “problem” isn’t the players, it’s thinking you were ever in control to begin with.

Ever tried saying “Dungeons & Dragons” in a Scouse accent to a voice assistant? Yeah… it doesn’t go well.In this episode, Chris and James dive deep into Wizards of the Coast’s 2026 roadmap, covering everything from the Eberron release and the long-awaited Pugilist class to monster-hunting guides and mysterious future announcements. Along the way, they chat GaryCon, conventions, and the growing gap between playing D&D and watching it.The conversation takes a turn as they break down Critical Role’s 1,700+ hours of content, questioning whether it’s still accessible to new player, and compare it to the time commitment of shows like One Piece. They also call out Wizards for leaning too heavily on familiar settings like Ravenloft, debating whether nostalgia is starting to replace innovation.From Dark Sun’s Mad Max vibes to edition changes, homebrew mechanics, and what the future of D&D should look like, this episode covers it all.Plus, their “Rule of Core” segment introduces a brutal but brilliant house rule, hidden death saves, that adds real tension, tough decisions, and the occasional devastating outcome at the table.If you like your D&D discussions with sarcasm, variety, and a bit of chaos, this one’s for you.

In this episode of The Rule of Cool, Chris and James dive into one of D&D’s most awkward mechanics: downtime.What starts as chaos (including NFL tangents and 90s nostalgia) quickly turns into a deep discussion on how dungeon masters can actually make downtime engaging. From zombie survival base-building to running full-blown carnivals in Witchlight, the hosts explore the creative system and why players rarely engage with them outside the table.They break down the real reasons behind player disengagement, from group dynamics to pacing issues, and why communication matters more than any “perfect party size.” There’s also a strong focus on respecting players’ time, keeping sessions moving, and avoiding the dreaded three-hour intro.The episode also tackles frustrations with the 2024 D&D rule, especially controversial creature mechanics, and why sometimes the Rule of Cool should override bad design.Plus:Why one-shots never go to planHow to keep combat fast and engagingThe “one-minute turn timer” trick every DM should tryA chaotic, honest, and practical episode for anyone trying to keep their table engaged—and their sessions fun.

In Episode 2 of the Rule of Cool Podcast, Chris Smith and James Peerless explore the moments in Dungeons & Dragons where everything hangs in the balance.From debating the influence of Stranger Things on the popularity of D&D, to breaking down the strengths and frustrations of the Artificer class, the conversation moves through character creativity, table banter, and the importance of letting players experiment with ideas.The hosts also introduce the dramatic Crit Coin rule, a once per campaign gamble that can turn a desperate situation into a legendary success or a catastrophic failure. Along the way they discuss memorable character builds, the role of improvisation in storytelling, and why some of the best moments in D&D happen when the plan goes completely off the rails.As usual, the discussion wanders through accents, tangents, and questionable rules interpretations, proving once again that sometimes the best part of D&D is the chaos around the table.

Season 2 begins with a brand new format for Welcome 2 The Rule of Cool Podcast. With the show now running as a two-host setup, Chris Smith and James Peerless move away from the structured rule breakdowns of Season 1 and lean into a more relaxed, conversational style.In this episode they discuss launching a zombie apocalypse D&D campaign with mostly new players, mixing 5e and 2024 rules, homebrew classes like the Lingering Soul, and introduce a new segment: Rule of Cool of the Week. Along the way they debate critical hit mechanics, DM philosophy, and inevitably drift into a few completely unrelated tangents.Welcome to Season 2.

Wizard subclasses don’t really come online until level three, and that’s where the real power starts. This week, Christmas, James Peerless, and Josh Allen break down Abjuration’s Arcane Ward tankiness, Divination’s ridiculous Portent control and spell-slot recycling, and why Evocation turns cantrips and magic missile into reliably nasty damage. If you’ve ever wondered which wizard school actually pulls its weight, this one’s for you.Quick apology, when we recorded this, we thought there was still one more episode to come. Sadly, the world had other plans. So please enjoy the final class in the book… and our last episode alongside our good friend, Josh Allen.

Casting a fresh spell on the WWW, our Welcome to the Wizardry episode conjures the secrets of the arcane Wizard class! With a flick of the wand, we aim to enchant not just our enchanted audience but also shed some mystical light on our less-scroll-savvy spellcasters behind the mic. As the 2024 tome of rules opens, we reveal if the Wizard has truly been leveled up or simply hexed into oblivion and blown to smitherines! Abraca-data!

In this Rule of Cool episode, Chris, Josh, and James dive headfirst into Warlock subclasses, calling it their "blind date" special– because who knows what kind of patron you're stuck with until level three? (Plus, with James being the Angry Scouse, it had to be done with a homage to his hometown hero Cilla Black!) They break down the Archfey, Celestial, Fiend, and Great Old One, from Misty Step manoeuvres to psychic damage and new healing tricks. Expect plenty of strategic laughs as they explore how to best utilise those hard-earned soul-selling powers!

In this Rule of Cool episode, Chris, Joshua, and James dive headfirst into the Warlock class, affectionately gushing over Eldritch Blast and comparing patrons to blind dates. They unpack wild new changes like Eldritch Smite and a warlock pyramid scheme, all while Chris almost admits the Sorcerer isn't terrible. It's a chaotic, pun-filled journey through D&D's most pact-tastic spellcasters, with a side of dancing bards.

The Sorcery Boys are back in town to sort through the beautiful bedlam of the new 2024 Sorcerer! This week is a deep dive into the subclasses, comparing the classic 5e versions to their modern forms.We're going feature by feature on the revamped Draconic and Wild Magic origins to show you exactly what's different. Afterwards, we turn our attention to the beloved Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul, discussing how these Tasha's classics fit into the new D&D landscape and interact with the updated base class. If you want to know exactly how your favourite Sorcerer plays now, this is the episode for you. Listen now!

In this week's episode of Welcome to the Rule of Cool Podcast, we see our usual podcast hosts replaced by the one and only "Sorcery Boys" (trust me, stick with it and it will catch on!) Will the Sorcerer get a magical glow-up, or is it a chaotic misfire from our good friends at WoTC. Don't forget to tap into our Sorcery bloodline this week, and don't forget we'd love to hear from you, e-mail us on [email protected]

This week, we return to the world of Paladins and talk about all things with regards to Paladin's Oaths! With the weather heating up, so do our discussions over the changes between 2024 and 5e Paladin Oaths. So why not switch from your current Channel to Channel Divinity instead, while you join us on the Rule of Cool Podcast?!

From Divine Smites to Movie Nights this episode has it all, as this week we are talking all things Paladin, and giving a little Kudos to the great movie that was Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves! A Key question this week: how do you feel about Divine Smite now being a bonus action? Hear our thoughts and listen to this week's episode of the Rule of Cool Podcast!

This Episode is kind of like The Star Wars Epic Rogue One, so we called it Rogue Two.... except we don't have any spaceships, or aliens, or anything to do with Sci-Fi really, and all our characters aren't doomed from the beginning.... or are they...(suspense)!The Star Wars Dungeons and Dragons crossover episode you never knew you needed again, except that we never mentioned Star Wars once.... instead, we bring to you, The Rogue Archetypes!

That's it, it's only taken us 20 Episodes, but this week, we're going Rogue! Well, not actually, but we are discussing the Rogue class, and compared to the updates from last week's Ranger episode, the Rogue is a breath of fresh air... that fresh air may contain poison, but nonetheless give it a listen. Even if you're just listening out for the below exciting News!Our Good Friends at CritStrikeDice have partnered with us to celebrate their launch and our 20th Episode in this awesome GIVEAWAY!!! We will be giving away a BEAUTIFUL set of Hard Edge Resin Dice with an enchanting glittery liquid core, that mesmerises onlookers as it tumbles across the table! Keep an eye out on both our socials to enter! @Welcome2ROCPodcast and @CritStrikeDice

It was incredibly hard not to begin this week's episode with a depressing ambience; we even tried to skip over the Ranger subclasses completely, but we didn't want to do a disservice to the D&D community. Everybody should know just how badly the Ranger subclasses were treated! Yeah sure, Beastmaster is OK, and Fey Wander is all whimsical and stuff, but it doesn't cover the chasm that is everything they took away from the Hunter! What once was a great crowd controller, standing tall like Legolas at Helm's Deep, has become a joke of a subclass, like Elmer Fudd unsuccessfully chasing Bugs Bunny (not the only rabbit reference this week!) Have a listen, and let us know if you agree!

It's safe to say Frustration isn't just a board game, and for once, all three hosts agree as they read the massacre that is the 2024 Ranger Class in Dungeons and Dragons. So many missed opportunities, and overwhelmingly underwhelming abilities combined with what feels like, just a lack of love and care on the side of the game developers. It is a common notion that nobody plays a Ranger beyond level 5, and with the update, why would you? No mincing words this week, Welcome to the Rule of the Not Very Cool Ranger Class

This episode roundhouse-kicks its way through the many martial paths of the Monk class—from the slap-happy serenity of Way of the Open Hand, to the blink-and-you'll-miss-it sneaky strikes of Way of Shadow, to the Avatar-wannabe chaos of Way of the Four Elements. We break down the mechanics, vibe checks, and ki-fueled flavour of each subclass, including their glow-ups (and occasional letdowns) in the 2024 rules update.

This episode breaks down the key differences between the 5e Monk and its 2024 revision in the updated Player’s Handbook. From revamped Ki (now Discipline Points) to a much-needed boost in damage output and survivability, we explore how the Monk has shifted from underpowered punchline to a flexible, fluid force on the battlefield. Whether you're a long-time Monk main or just curious about the class rebalance, this episode is your quick path to enlightenment. No robes required.

This week, staying in James' happy place, we continue to talk about the Fighter going into more detail about the subclasses 2024 brings, and how they differ from 5E. This week, we answer questions like, Are there any new Fighter Subclasses? What is Weapon Mastery? Is the Fighter Champion Less Boring? Spoiler alert... ever so slightly!

That's right, the first rule of Fighter Club is to always talk about it, we are a podcast after all! And especially the Angry Scouse, James, he loves the fighter class, and this week was like a short trip to Blackpool for Pleasure Beach... I think that was a bit of a reach tbf... basically James really enjoyed this episode, can you tell?

OK, let's get the White Elephant, or Stegosaurus, out of the way... Yes, I once played a Moon Druid. Yes, it was useless and I will hold my hands up and say that, OK? But how useful or useless is the Moon Druid in the 2024 rules? Well, you'll just have to listen to find out as we go into each Druidic Subclass, including the brand new Circle of the Sea, basically Ariel from The Little Mermaid...

Time to get into the Roots of the new Druid Class, you woodn't believe what changes have been made! OK enough tree puns, choose your primal path, your choice is either to listen to our podcast or not... well that was pretty easy, but we would recommend you have a listen, learn the new 2024 druidic ways and what we're missing from 5E as we aim to offer valuable insights into the evolving mechanics of the iconic Druid

You should know the format by now, time to delve deeper into the Cleric subclasses, diving into the significant changes coming to various Cleric domains, with particular attention to the Life, Light, and Trickery domains. From the Life Domain's new ability to heal undead and constructs to the Trickery Domain's enhanced illusion capabilities, the discussion breaks down what these changes mean for players.

Well we made it, Episode 10, and lets hope for no clerical errors in this one! as we dive into The Dungeons and Dragons Cleric! Funnily enough the Cleric almost starts like a choose your own adventure, DEEP BOOMING VOICE "Which Path will you take? Protector or Thaumaturge?" Or as we put it... Fighty Fighty or Spelly Spelly... find out which one you'd pick with some more detailed information on the differences between 5E and 2024 Cleric. We'd love to hear from you [email protected]

The Bardic Subclasses rear their beautiful, charismatic faces in this week's episode of RoC, What kind of Bard are you? The Glamorous? The Lore Abiding? The Valorant? Or are you the new and shiny toe tapping, butt kicking, hip shaking dancing Bard! No bonus points for guessing my new favourite! What would your favourite be? We'd love to hear from you if you have any comments whatsoever. Get in touch! [email protected]

This week on RoC, we are trying to be inspired by the updates of the 2024 bard, but some of them fall flatter than some a bard's notes when he rolls a 1 on his performance checks! Not everything is an absolute tragedy, though, so why not tune in to find out! Also, we'd love to hear from you if you have any comments whatsoever we'd love to hear from you [email protected]

I do apologise that you had to wait longer than six seconds for your barbarian rage to continue but what I can offer you is just under 40 minutes of 3 guys discussing the 2024 Barbarian class in further detail! We would love to hear your thoughts about 2024 Barbarian class please get in contact, we'd love to hear from you [email protected]

Finally, we start getting into the meat of the Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Classes starting alphabetically and in order of coolest (maybe!) The Barbarian... Spoiler alert you no longer have to punch yourself in the face to keep your rage going, and we hope listening to our podcast also doesn't make you want to punch yourself in the face... Alternatively, if you would like to get in contact we'd love to hear from you [email protected]

One of my favourite things about Dungeons and Dragons and TTRPGs in general, all you need to bring is a pen, paper, dice and an imagination! (all I know can be replaced with AI these days!) But this week we talk about the differences the 2024 Character sheet brings, and there are some surprising changes!

Its Alive... Aliveeeeeee!! This week we talk about creation in general... well not completely in general, in the world of Dungeons and Dragons 2024. You may hear some quietness from the Angry Scouse this week who has lost his voice! (There are mentions about Valentine's day that should tell you when we recorded this!)

I know what you're thinking, it's only Episode 3 and the hosts are already taking a rest? But not this week, as we finish off talking rules, including Picking Locks, Thieves Tools and of Course, you guessed it, the updated changes Dungeons and Dragons 2024 has made to Resting!Check Us out on Instagram⁠https://www.instagram.com/welcome2rocpodcast/⁠Learn a little bit more about us on our website⁠https://welcome2roc.carrd.co/

A Welcome back and a shock that they made it to episode two, the guys delve deeper into the basic rules of Dungeons and Dragons 2024, comparing it with Fifth Edition, with specific animosity towards Opportunity Attacks from the Angry Scouse. Tune in to find out More!Check Us out on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/welcome2rocpodcast/Learn a little bit more about us on our websitehttps://welcome2roc.carrd.co/

Dive into the chaotic realm of the Rule of Cool, where three adventurers - Chris Smith, James Peerless, and Joshua Allen - emerged from the mystical dungeons of roleplaying! Born from the dice-rolling depths of Dungeons and Dragons, these unlikely heroes are on a quest to shatter the nerdy stereotypes surrounding their beloved game. Their epic mission? Unravelling the mysterious metamorphosis between D&D 5E and the 2024 edition - a transformation so cryptic that even their home base at DNDU (www.dndu.co.uk) hasn't fully embraced the new ruleset. Prepare for a wild podcast journey where these three musketeers of mayhem will dissect rule changes with the precision of a rogue's dagger and the enthusiasm of a barbarian's battle cry. Each episode promises a compact adventure, carefully crafted to keep listeners engaged without drowning them in endless minutiae. Grab your character sheets and buckle up - tabletop madness awaits! ( Just for note this was due to be released last month so some of the timelines may be a little off! Apologies for the confusion!)