#beadle and grimms

[thefandomentals]

Death may be the end, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it. We sat down with @beadleandgrimms to learn all about Faster, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies, Vol. 1, their lethal new D&D adventure anthology currently on Kickstarter.

[moonbeambb]

Tell me why I get an email saying my curse of Strahd deluxe was delivered but I get home and open the box and it’s literally just a thing of sunscreen ?!

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk - Beadle & Grimm Legendary Edition DM Screen by Sidharth Chaturvedi

[puzzlenation]

RPG Actual Play News Roundup!

A lot of cool things are happening in the actual play RPG scene these days. For the uninitiated, actual play games (also known as liveplay games) are when a party of roleplaying game enthusiasts share their gameplay for viewers. Some of them simply record a regular session around the table, while others create sets, graphics, and expend a fair bit of coin on their production values to enhance…

[gwendolinechristie]

session zero of my dnd campaign tonight!!!!!

[thenerdsofcolor]

Matthew Lillard and Bill Rehor Talk ‘Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!’

NOC Interview: Matthew Lillard and Bill Rehor Talk ‘Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!’ @MatthewLillard @BeadleAndGrimms @AmazonFreevee @plex @Wizards_DnD #FasterPurpleWormKillKill

Matthew Lillard and Bill Rehor, two of the co-founders of Beadle and Grimm’s, are launching Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! on the new Dungeons and Dragons Adventures streaming channel on Freevee and Plex. The liveplay comedy series will have a two-episode two-hour premiere on November 16 at 9 PM ET and PT. Continue reading Untitled

[bonniegrrl]

NEED TO HIRE A WRITER, EDITOR, OR COMMUNITY MANAGER?

I have 20+ years as a professional Writer, Editor, Games Writer, Book Author, Journalist, Comics Writer, Marketing Copywriter, Content Strategist, Community Manager, and Social Media Strategist.

I've worked for Lucasfilm, Disney, Discovery, DreamWorks, Hunt A Killer Games, Beadle & Grimm's, Penguin Random House, Quirk Books, Abrams Books, Stan Lee, Playboy, CBS, CNET, NBC, and more.

Thanks for any connections, advice, or job opportunities you can offer. 

Click here for my resume.

[sideprince]

If I'm honest I think the way the Deathly Hallows were made into a theme in the HP books is much more interesting than the whole Christ allegory, especially since it's a bit more original. I mean, sure, the Tale of the Three Brothers borrows heavily from the European storytelling tradition as filtered through the homogenized lens of the Grimm Brothers - the number three, the two older brothers being rash and unthinking and the youngest being wise, the outwitting of a dangerous foe, the lesson that brute force and bending nature's order will only end badly, etc. But there's still something interesting and original there, and I find that much more exciting than pinpointing how Christian tropes manifest in a children's story that follows them without building on them or raising questions.

What I find particularly fascinating about the Hallows theme is the way it connects to the characters, and how the three brothers and the objects they represent come to be reflected in three of the most key characters in HP:

Harry, Voldemort, and Snape are so inextricably connected, but even though the only moment they're all in the same place is when Snape is killed, it feels like Snape's the one whose journey to that moment is the most clearly laid out. It's the third time we know him to be in the Shrieking Shack: the first, when he's nearly killed by Lupin-turned-werewolf but escapes unscathed, and the second, when he corners Lupin and Black in PoA and is knocked unconscious sustaining a head wound. With each visit to the Shrieking Shack he inches closer to his own death metaphorically.

It's no secret that each Hallow is connected to or representative of one of these characters.

The Deathstick/Elder Wand is Voldemort: he's its penultimate wielder and even before possessing it, his own wand might as well be a death stick. He kills with impunity and without remorse. It's said several times in the series that ultimately all the death and destruction Harry, Ron, and Hermione fight against comes down to Voldemort; even the Death Eaters do what they do in his service. (And, while I take issue with the simplistic and naive perspective it conveys, the story makes it clear that as soon as Voldemort dies, the chaos he has wrought on the wizarding world is already beginning to be set right again.) Harry meets Voldemort in the forest at the end of DH in order to meet his death because it's Voldemort who brings it about.

The Resurrection Stone is Snape: we find out in DH that he has spent the entire septology haunted by the heartbreak and regret losing a loved one caused, and everything he's done has been in service of her. Though he never possesses the Resurrection Stone, he might as well - we see through his patronus that the memory of Lily is with him "always." Interestingly, it's also the Resurrection Stone that sets him on his final path - it's the stone in the ring that curses Dumbledore's hand, leading to Snape agreeing to kill him, and to him making the Unbreakable Vow. Killing Dumbledore draws him into Voldemort's trust even more, but also puts a target on his back. So, like the second Peverell brother, Snape's main drive is a departed loved one, his devotion to whom ultimately dooms him. The more he tries to keep her alive and honor her memory, the more she draws him to his death.

As in the Tale of the Three Brothers, death claims both the first and second brother.

It's the third brother who escapes death and meets him on his own terms through his use of the Invisibility Cloak. Harry literally wears it into the forest at the end of DH and throws it off to meet his death. Harry starts the story having escaped Death and working his way towards it on his own terms. When he dies, it's because he is ready and he chooses to - and once again, he escapes it. Harry is also closely connected to the youngest Peverell brother, being descended from him, and as per the Beadle the Bard's story, the cloak gets handed down from parent to child so Harry is its rightful owner.

Finally, there's the character of Death, whose parallel is, reluctantly but determinedly, Dumbledore. There's an irony in his ownership of the Elder Wand, in that he learned from the mistakes of his youth and understands and eschews its capacity for death and destruction. Even so, he becomes a character who plays a key role in the death of several other characters, not least of whom are Snape, Harry, and Voldemort. His main goal throughout the series is to bring about Voldemort's death. In the process, he sacrifices both Harry and Snape (not to mention countless others). Dumbledore is also the person who gives all three Hallows to their ultimate owner, Harry. In the process, it's from Dumbledore that Voldemort takes the Elder Wand, and it's through Dumbledore's actions that Snape is doomed by the Resurrection Stone, not to mention he's the one to give the Invisibility Cloak to Harry. When Harry escapes death as a baby, it's Dumbledore who leaves him with the Dursley knowing he will return for him later (or will do so through a proxy), sort of - but not quite - foreshadowing that death will come for Harry when the time is right. When Harry is killed by Voldemort, it's Dumbledore who meets him in Kings Cross limbo.

Interestingly, of these four characters it's only Voldemort who is not connected to all three hallows. Dumbledore has, at some point, had each in his possession, and at the end of the story Harry possesses all three and is the only person who knows where the Resurrection Stone is in the forest. Snape is the only person we see use the Invisibility Cloak without an invitation to do so from Harry (in the Shrieking Shack in PoA), and he's the only one aside from Dumbledore and Harry to be connected with the Resurrection Stone. Though he never does so, he was meant by Dumbledore to possess the Elder Wand, and it's the direct reason he's killed. There's an interesting parallel there, based on what Dumbledore says to Harry in King's Cross Limbo:

Harry is obviously the Specialest Boy™️ because he's the protagonist, so he's fit to unite the Hallows (which he never quite does - he uses the Resurrection Stone while wearing the Cloak, but drops the stone well before he physically takes possession of the Elder Wand and wields it). Dumbledore nevertheless has the Cloak for a decade between James' death and giving it to Harry, by which point he has had the Elder Wand for much longer. He takes possession of the Stone when he takes Marvolo's ring, and in the process experiences a parallel to the second brother's story (similar to Snape) as his efforts to reconnect to a deceased loved one instead sets him on the path towards his death. Snape, as stated above, is similarly connected to all three Hallows at one point or other.

As interesting as I find all this, I feel like these parallels and, really, this theme, could have been worked out more throughout the septology and been dealt with in richer, more wide-reaching ways. Maybe it didn't occur to Rowling (boo, hssss) until she was well into writing the series, whereas the Horcruxes clearly had, since Voldemort's inability to die is established in PS and the first Horcrux crops up in CoS. There's a clumsiness in the way Hallows vs. Horcruxes becomes the great dilemma in DH, and if the themes each represents had been established early on and been an undercurrent through the whole series it would have been more powerful.

That's not to say that the themes connected to each Hallow - death, loss, choosing wisdom over power - aren't overarching ones on their own. But Harry's contending with them against Voldemort's focus on that power and his fear of death alongside his cavalier implementation of it ends up being a bit flat, because Harry doesn't waver. It's one of the things Dumbledore points out when they discuss the prophecy, that because Voldemort killed his parents, Harry was never at risk of being seduced by all that Voldemort represents. So even though the themes are there, the tensions between them aren't really present in Harry - again, the protagonist - until the second half of the last book. Not until HBP do we start to see Voldemort's past and understand the parallels between him and Harry, and not until the Prince's Tale chapter in DH do we really see how Snape fits into this trio of "abandoned boys." The fleshing out of his character was sacrificed for the sake of the big reveal of his motivations and I think it would have been more interesting to have moments throughout the series that turned out to be foreshadowing along the theme of the Hallows, and not just ones that clarify his allegiances through the insight into his life.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

my thanks go out to beadle & grimm for providing such specific guidance on how to dunk on jin-gitaxias

[moldwood]

tagged by @scalpelsister :D

tagging five: @agamemnon-sux @vampcleric @skel-loo @malscare @trainwreckgenerator! went with ones i haven't tagged in a bit + most recent in notifs, but if you want to do it feel free to go ahead and say i tagged you. they'll never check they'll never know

[thedogeveryonehates]

I think its so great to see Matthew Lillard just like,, being an active member of the ttrpg community. Obviously as one of the founders of Beadle & Grimms he exists in the space but like its so funny to see him pop in as a guest on ppls one-shots and stuff. Like ??? Bro thats shaggy. Thats stu. Hes part of the fnaf universe. ??? Hello?

[thefandomentals]

Check out Dan's review of the Planescape: Adventures In The Multiverse DM's Vault from @beadleandgrimms !

[thunderbunny24]

Second Chance at Love

The end is finally here. I hope everyone has like the story. I have left it where if I wanted to do a sequel, or one was strongly suggested, I could continue, but for now it is time to say goodbye to these characters.

Part 17

Good morning beautiful and happy 8 month anniversary!  Call me after you get Violet to school and I’ll give you all the important details about our date tonight.

            You read Matt’s text while you were sipping your morning coffee.  Your kitchen was full of noise as Violet was talking nonstop about a boy at school that she had a crush on while making her lunch for the day and Megan was going over your schedule for the day with you.  You texted back.

Morning handsome!  How do you remember month anniversaries?  I barely know what day of the week it is.  Megan is going to take Violet to school today so I should be able to call after 7:30.  Missed you last night.

            You scrolled back in your text chain to look at the pictures Matt had sent of his game night with the Beadle & Grimm’s guys.

I missed you too.  I hate not sleeping next to you but thank you for being cool when I realized the game was going to go late.  I’ll talk to you in a little bit.  Love you!

            You texted back a purple heart then went up to your bedroom to go take a shower and get ready for the day.  After your shower, you said goodbye to Violet then called Matt.

            “Hello beautiful!”

            You giggled and rolled your eyes.  “Hey!  Looks like you had a great time with the guys last night.”

            “I did!”  You could hear Matt’s smile through the phone.  “We ended up not even starting the game until about 10 last night.  I’m sorry!”

            You shook your head.  “No need to apologize.  You were having a guy’s night.  I totally get it.”

            “Thank you, sweetheart!  What all is on your plate today?”

            You opened up the calendar app on your phone.  “I’ve got a final audition this morning for the Community movie to be Joel McHale’s girlfriend then after lunch I’ve got an open audition for Mrs. Robinson in the stage adaptation of The Graduate.”

            “Break a leg, baby!”

            You smiled.  “Thank you!”

            Matt cleared his throat.  “So, for our date tonight, I’m going to pick you up at 7pm.  Addi is going to watch Violet for us.  Dress code is casual Friday at the office.  Sensible shoes are a requirement.”

            You teased.  “There goes my dream of a fancy dinner.”

            “I promise, you will like it.  I’ll see you this evening.  I love you and good luck at your auditions today.”

            “Thank you, babe!”  You hung up the phone and finished getting ready for your auditions.

**********          **********          **********

            You thought you heard voices downstairs, so you looked at the clock and saw it was 6:45pm and assumed Matt and Addi were there.  You put your last few pieces of jewelry on then headed downstairs.  You heard a whistle and looked up at Matt who was grinning from ear to ear.  He looked you up and down then twirled his finger to get you to do a spin, of which you obliged once you were down the stairs and in the kitchen.

            “If this is business casual then…mmm mmm…”  Matt took your hand and gave it a small kiss.  You were wearing jeans, a black lace halter top and sandals.  Matt had on jeans, a green polo and his favorite pair of Hey Dudes.  “You ready to head out?”

            “Yes sir.  Just need to grab my purse and I’ll be good.”  You grabbed your purse, gave Violet a hug and walked towards the front door.

            Matt stepped between you and the door.  “You need to pay the toll young lady.”  He said as he pointed at his cheek.  You shook your head and kissed his cheek.  You both hopped into Matt’s car and he drove you to Marina Del Rey.  He escorted you to a yacht and helped you get on the boat.  A crew member handed you a glass of champagne and led you to a table set up for dinner.

            “Did you seriously rent a yacht and a crew for a date?”  You looked a bit concerned as you both try very hard to live well under your means.  The boat began to leave the dock and head out to the ocean.

            Matt smiled at you.  “I did.  I wanted tonight to be special plus I don’t know how to drive a boat so I had to get a crew.”  He winked at you.  “I want to make a toast.”  Matt raised his glass.  “To 8 amazing months together.”  You clinked your glass with his then took another sip.

            “How is a nighttime boat ride with dinner ‘casual Friday at the office’?”  You made finger quotes.  “The sensible shoes part makes sense but I feel like I should be in a fancy dress, dripping in diamonds.”

            Matt reached over and ran his hand up and down your arm.  “A boat is no place for heels or jewelry that comes with a body guard.”  You shook your head.  “Looks like dinner is ready.”  The crew member that led you to the table earlier put a plate of chicken nachos in front of you.  You gave Matt a confused look.  “I know this is your favorite, so I had them make it for us.”

            You scrunched your eyebrows as you continued to look at Matt.  “There is obviously something up that I don’t have figured out yet.  Fancy boat…comfy clothes…favorite food…Are you trying to lull me into a happy place before you Natalie Wood’s me?”

            “Too soon.”  Matt laughed.  “No, I’m not going to kill you, I promise, but there is something up.  You’ll just have to wait.  Dinner first.  Plus, who wants to eat cold nachos?”

            “Fine.”  You said while taking a small chip and popping it in your mouth.  While you both ate dinner, you and Matt talked about his game night the prior evening and your auditions from that day.  Once dinner was done, Matt reached out his hand and led you to the front of the boat that was facing Venice Beach.  Matt stood behind you and wrapped you up in his arms.  “It’s such a beautiful view but I think you went a bit overboard…”

            Matt interrupted.  “Pun intended?”

            You smiled at his joke as you rolled your eyes.  “This is a fancy date that I wasn’t expecting, but it had been a pretty perfect night.”

            “Well, there is one more thing.”  Matt cleared his throat.  “I know 8 months together isn’t something that most people celebrate, but I wanted to do something big and memorable.”  He turned your body so that you were facing him.  “Since we ran into each other at that gas station, I have been in love with you.  I haven’t felt this strongly for anyone since my last child was born.  You are so beautiful and talented and smart.  You are an amazing mother and the best partner I could ever ask for.  I know we had to go through our prior relationships so that we could appreciate each other fully.”  Matt reached in his pocket and you instantly felt your entire body shiver in anticipation.  “I will always wish we had met sooner, but I refuse to live another day without knowing we will be together for every day that is to come.  Stacy,” Matt got down on one knee and held up a ring.  “Will you please give me the honor of being my wife?”

            Tears quietly ran down your face as you locked eyes with Matt then smiled.  Your voice come out as a whisper.  “Yes, I would love to.”  Matt slipped the ring on your finger, got up and wrapped you in an embrace then kissed you.

            “You said yes?”  Matt quietly asked.

            You reached up and ran your thumb over his cheek.  “I said yes.”

            “Then, I’ve got one more question.”  You looked at him confused as to what else he would need to ask.  “Can I adopt Violet too?  I want her to be our daughter.  I want her to be a Lillard.”

            Your mouth hung open.  You never expected someone to want to adopt your daughter.  In fact, that thought had never crossed your mind.  “I would love for her to be a Lillard and I know she would too.”  Matt wrapped you up in a hug as you both quietly cried.  Matt had found his second chance at love and you found a second chance at love and a second chance to have the family you always dreamed of.

[art-of-li]

Magic: the Gathering - Kamigawa Map Design

A wonderful (and different kind of) project I got to work on for Beadle & Grimms. I love when I get to exercise my concept, illustration, and cartography skills!

[wandering-mage]

Print more lore/art/story/comics. Those are primarily what I want to. I rarely buy cards these days, but I love all the adjacent lore stuff. I had to dig through secondary markets to get the Kamigawa field journal and the Phyrexian Language Guide from the Beadle and Grimm special bundles.

If the Planeswalker Guides had any but the Alara one in print form, I'd be getting it.

If/when a set that caters 100% to vorthos

I don’t know what that means exactly. Every card specifically has elements aimed at Vorthos.

If you’re talking specifically about card mechanics, the very nature of Magic design is that we aim at a wide audience in every product and not just one type of player, so a big if.

[thenerdsofcolor]

Matthew Lillard Discusses Quest’s End: Rogue, the Power of Fandoms, and Storytelling

NOC Interview: Matthew Lillard Discusses Quest’s End: Rogue, the Power of Fandoms, and Storytelling @MatthewLillard @QuestsEndWsky

Actor and co-founder of Beadle & Grimm’s Matthew Lillard is a founder of Find Familiar Spirits, which combines the storytelling acumen and influence of Hollywood with spirits craftsmanship to deliver a super-premium whiskey. Quest’s End: Rogue is the second release in its series of limited-edition blends created to match its character and is accompanied by the second tale in the evolving fantasy…