Part 2: Ascent to Yesterday | Starter Kit - Numenera

Summary

Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry

Episode: Part 2: Ascent to Yesterday | Starter Kit - Numenera

Host: Monte Cook (creator of Numenera)
Date: December 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Geek & Sundry’s RPG podcast dives into the world of Numenera as the group embarks on an expedition into the mountains, following a frail young scholar named Morrow. Monte Cook guides new and returning players through key Numenera mechanics—especially the innovative cipher system and its unique approach to handling challenges. The party prepares, stocks up on gear, and faces their first major test: a daunting cliff. The session balances mechanical explanations with creative roleplaying, group problem-solving, and lighthearted moments—making it as instructive for new players as it is entertaining.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Numenera’s Mechanics Refresher

[03:10 - 04:19]:

• Monte Cook reminds listeners how task resolution in Numenera is handled: d20 rolls against a target number.

• He introduces ciphers (one-use, often cobbled-together relics with unpredictable effects) and explains their in-game role and limits.

  “Ciphers can only be used once, and then, and then they're done. ... You will have the opportunity to find more ciphers as we play in the game.” – Monte Cook [04:19]

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2. Gear & Cipher Distribution

[04:19 - 09:43]:

• Each character receives two unique ciphers: Examples include a fear-inducing poison injector, frigid wall projector, morphing mask, paralyzing ray emitter, friction-reducing gel, visual displacement headgear, desiccating detonation, rejuvenating pillow, "Metal Death" foam, and a force field projector.

• Discussion of Numenera’s “Shins” currency: A barter system using “shinies” (salvaged shiny objects).

• Players strategize about basic supplies (arrows, food, rope, matches) and quirky essentials (big blanket, whiskey).

  “In this world, currency here is ... a crude bartering system. And they use a unit called shins.” – Monte Cook [09:55]

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3. The Journey Begins: Into Rugged Terrain

[11:54 - 16:31]:

• The party sets out with Morrow, who soon displays signs of frailty, raising suspicions about his ability—and possible deeper issues.

• The environment is described with vivid detail—"tarrel trees" with blue-blood veins, lush but forbidding hills.

  "You can sort of see like the peristaltic action of something moving through these vines up into the blue leaves of the trees." – Monte Cook [15:21]

• Players use character skills (botany, geography) to identify local flora and strategize about food sources.

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4. Climbing the Cliff: A Lesson in Numenera's System

[17:19 - 46:25]:

• Monte Cook breaks down the task system:

  • Challenges have a difficulty level (1–10).
  • Skills, assets (like rope), and applying effort reduce difficulty.
  • Effort is powered by spending points from character pools (Might, Speed, Intellect), sometimes leveraging “edge” for efficiency.
  • Failing a climb forces players to use extra resources or risk falling—damage is mitigated by armor.

  “The target number is always three times the challenge. So you'd need to roll a three or higher on a 20 sided die.” – Monte Cook [23:40]
  “If you reduce the difficulty of something down to zero, you don't even need to make a roll. You just do it.” – Monte Cook [18:41]

• Roleplay & teamwork during climbing:

  • Creative use of blanket as an improvised sling for Morrow.

  • Multiple failed attempts and humorous setbacks (e.g., using whiskey for "liquid courage").

  • Use of rope and skilled allies to lower difficulty, with players catching each other after missteps.

  • Memorable rescue: Dabilu catching Bix mid-fall.

    “I got you!” – Dabilu, after rolling a 16 to save Bix [44:12] “Bix gives you a hug.” – Player 4 [44:22] “And I go, get off of me.” – Player 5 (Dabilu) [44:25]

  • The party ultimately gets everyone (and Morrow in his blanket!) up the cliff through teamwork, improvisation, and a working understanding of the system.

• Worldbuilding detail:

  • The upper haven turns out to be an ancient, eroded structure—hinting at the Ninth World's deep, layered history.

  "You can see outlines of structures that... it now looks like a cliff. But up here, you can tell it's actually some kind of structure." – Monte Cook [46:07]

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5. Closing Tease & Next Steps

[46:15 - 46:28]:

• The party prepares to explore the mysterious structure.

• Cliffhanger: hints at movement within the ruins, suggesting upcoming danger or discovery.

  “There’s something else moving around in here.” – Monte Cook [46:29]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Numenera’s Philosophy on Ciphers:

  “You don’t have to hoard them until the very last session or anything like that.” – Monte Cook [04:19]

• On Numenera’s Currency:

  "Anything that you find that's shiny can be used as a coin, more or less." – Monte Cook [09:55]

• Comedic Rescue:

  “I got you!” – Dabilu, after catching Bix [44:12] “Bix gives you a hug.” – Player 4 [44:22] “And I go, get off of me.” – Dabilu [44:25]

• Player Camaraderie:

  “We both take a shot of the whiskey and add to the difficulty.” – Player 2 [33:23] “Whoever doesn't cough after goes up first.” – Player 2 [33:34]

• Tabletop Wisdom:

  “You’re not limited by your character sheets. You can try anything. And even if you’re not trained in a skill, you can always try the action.” – Monte Cook [30:54]

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Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 03:10 | Monte Cook recaps Numenera's dice mechanic | | 04:19 | Introduction to ciphers and inventory management | | 09:55 | Explanation of "shins" currency and bartering | | 11:54 | The party leaves on their expedition | | 15:21 | Exploring strange flora—tarrel trees | | 17:19 | Climbers face the first incline; system explained | | 23:40 | Task mechanics and effort detailed | | 33:23 | Whiskey-powered bravado before climbing | | 44:12 | Dramatic catch—Dabilu saves Bix | | 46:07 | Discovery: the ‘cliff’ is an ancient structure | | 46:29 | Cliffhanger: Something moves in the ruins |

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Tone & Style

The episode is welcoming, instructive, and collaborative, blending mechanical deep-dives with humor and in-character play. Monte Cook’s guidance is hands-on but conversational, encouraging player creativity, and the cast’s banter keeps things lively.

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Useful For…

• New players learning Numenera’s core mechanics in a low-stress, narrative-driven environment.
• RPG fans wanting an actual play rich with both crunch and story.
• Viewers curious about team dynamics and creative problem-solving at the table.

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Summary

“Part 2: Ascent to Yesterday” walks listeners through the mechanical and narrative heart of Numenera, using a mountain climb as both literal and metaphorical ascent. The party's reliance on improvisation, humor, and collaboration—alongside Monte Cook’s instructional interludes—makes this episode a masterclass in onboarding new players and embracing the joy of tabletop roleplaying.

Next Time: What secrets or dangers lurk in the ancient structure atop the cliff? The adventure continues…

Transcript

[Monte Cook]

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[Player 1]

Last time on starter kit.

[Player 2]

Ajnia is a mystical mechanical jack.

[Player 3]

Shanza looks like a ghost all the time. She's transparent.

[Player 1]

He's a learned nano who rides the lightning.

[Player 4]

Bix can speak, but doesn't.

[Player 5]

I was built to fight. I need to get out of here. See what's out there.

[Monte Cook]

Welcome back to your starter kit. I'm Monte Cook, creator of Numenera. All difficult actions in Numenera are resolved by rolling a 20 sided die and then we compare it to a target number. If the player rolls equal to or higher than that number, they succeed. Simple, right? Let's see how it applies as our characters venture forth into the unknown. So it's time to get ready to go on this expedition into the mountains. Follow Morrow on his quest. The people of Aldervale like you. They have a strong affection toward Morrow. They are thrilled that you are going to accompany him. So thrilled in fact, that they are willing to give you, if there's some extra gear or anything that you need, they're happy to provide that.

[Player 3]

What about ammunition and that sort of thing? Like arrows for my bow?

[Monte Cook]

Honestly, it's something that I don't normally track very much, so. We won't worry about it. Yeah.

[Player 4]

Do we need to bring food?

[Monte Cook]

Yes, I think you probably definitely want to bring food for, you know, it's going to be multiple days of travel.

[Player 1]

Are there any other kind of relics or items from.

[Monte Cook]

Funny you should mention that because what, what the town is actually willing to do is provide you with their magic. Now, in Numenera, we call these things ciphers. And the way that ciphers work are they are bits of these remnants of the past. Maybe they're kind of cobbled together. Maybe someone's actually even taken two parts of different devices and wired them together to make them do some effect. So they're all, you know, a little unstable. Right. They're put together by people who aren't, you know, true technicians or anything. Ciphers can only be used once, and then, and then they're done. You will have the opportunity to find more ciphers as we play in the game. So don't be afraid. You know, you don't have to hoard them until the very last session or anything like that. Now, each one of these ciphers is on a card and then I'm enclosing with it another card that has just like a little visual image of what that thing looks like. Let's start with Shanza. The two things. So one is this weird looking needle injector type thing. And it has in it a poison that will make someone very afraid. You can see the description there. But basically anytime that person who's infected with that poison is threatened, they will flee. Basically.

[Player 3]

Okay, cool.

[Monte Cook]

And the other thing is sort of even a more dramatic handheld device that it's called a frigid wall projector. And basically it makes an area of cold air that does people damage if they move through it. So it's a really good barrier to keep out enemies.

[Player 3]

Nice.

[Monte Cook]

Let's talk about our nano. So, Adaren, as a nano, you can normally carry one additional cipher than anyone else because you're even more in tune with the Numenera. However, in this particular case, you're only gonna want two because one of yours is kind of so special that it counts as two.

[Player 1]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

Right. And so that is this cool mask that you can put on. And basically it changes the appearance of your whole body so that you can look like whatever you want to look like. And the other thing is, it's called a ray emitter and it will shoot out a ray that will paralyze a phone.

[Player 1]

I've been wanting one of those.

[Monte Cook]

Never let me play with it. Now you give it to me.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

I'm leaving.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 2]

All right.

[Player 1]

Now, are these things that we could share with if someone else needs it.

[Monte Cook]

You can share with us? Absolutely could. But you'll notice on your character sheet that there's a number by where you write down your ciphers if you didn't have these cards. And that's your cipher limit. And what that means is that's how many ciphers you can safely have on you at once. You can try to carry more than that. But people have been known to have weird reactions once you start bringing more and more of these things together. And maybe your hair starts to fall out or weird, weird things happen. So that's your safe limit. So I think everyone is two, with Darren being three. So let's go to Bix. Next you have this interesting looking device that produces friction reducing gel. Basically it just makes an area really slippery.

[Player 4]

Slippery?

[Monte Cook]

Yeah.

[Player 4]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

Then the other thing is sort of a headgear kind of thing that if you put it on and activate it, it's called a visual displacement device. Basically it'll make like images of you kind of appear all around.

[Player 4]

And maybe it multiplies me, but not really.

[Monte Cook]

Right. But like no one would know which one is the real you.

[Player 4]

Very cool.

[Monte Cook]

Right. And they're kind of moving around you.

[Player 5]

Very cool.

[Monte Cook]

Ajnia. So you have two things. One is this very weird looking sphere and it's called a desiccating detonation.

[Player 2]

Desiccating detonation.

[Monte Cook]

When you activate that, you can throw it and it'll create an area that it just draws all the moisture out of. So living creatures, it hurts, but it might have other effects, like on the environment stuff if you want it to as well. Right. If you threw it into a pool of water, for example, the water would go away.

[Player 2]

Oh, okay.

[Monte Cook]

Yeah. And then the other thing is just a simple pillow. It's a rejuvenator and it will help you restore your pools once they get down, we'll get into that. It's basically like a healing sort of thing.

[Player 2]

I enjoy pills that do that. This is great.

[Monte Cook]

All right. And Davilu.

[Player 3]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

So you have. You have a device that is probably something, I don't know, you might actually kind of find it a little scary. It's called Metal Death.

[Player 5]

That sounds great.

[Monte Cook]

It's basically. It's this foam, and if you spray it on metal, the metal just becomes like brittle.

[Player 5]

Oh, that's why I would find that terrifying.

[Monte Cook]

Yeah. But you know, if you make sure it's not used on you.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

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[Player 5]

So if it's in my possession. Good point.

[Monte Cook]

In the other. Right, right. No better hands than yours.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

Right. And the other is a device that you can activate and make a force field around yourself for additional protection.

[Player 5]

Neato.

[Player 2]

Metal Death. Isn't that a band?

[Monte Cook]

All right, so are there any other preparations that you want to make before you head off?

[Player 4]

Do we use money?

[Monte Cook]

In this world, currency here is. It's a very kind of crude bartering system. And they use a unit called shins. It's short for shinies. Because basically anything that you find that's shiny can be used as a coin, more or less. So sometimes, like when you find, you know, these remnants of the past and they don't work anymore sometimes, at the very least, what you can do is break them down and make shins out of it.

[Player 3]

And you kind of want just like a bunch of like sheets of leather.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 3]

Just in case. You never know. You can like make tents or something.

[Monte Cook]

Nice. Okay.

[Player 1]

And a rope.

[Monte Cook]

Rope.

[Player 1]

You always need a rope.

[Monte Cook]

Sure, of course.

[Player 5]

Rope. I'll get a big old blanket. Just the biggest one I can find.

[Player 1]

I'll freeze halfway up there.

[Player 2]

What about fire? In Numenera or in Aldervale?

[Monte Cook]

You can get some matches.

[Player 1]

Hey, I got your matches right here.

[Player 4]

But just in case, we should bring some extra.

[Monte Cook]

Just in case I could die.

[Player 4]

Someone Incapacitates you if you have an.

[Monte Cook]

Explorer'S pack as part of your starting equipment, that comes with some torches. Oh, I should also mention it comes with. There's a. There's a certain type of Numenera device that is so ubiquitous that pretty much everyone has them. And they're called glowglobes. And basically these are little spheres. You can activate them, they glow with light. You can make them just sort of hang in the air if you want to. They last about an hour. But there's also torches, too, if the glow globes run out or whatever. So with all those preparations in mind, you are, I think, ready to head off. Right. Namaro knows the way. Right. He's got a book full of calculations, and he's figured out what the coordinate system is or whatever, so he can start pointing you in the right direction. And at least for now, there's a path.

[Player 1]

And geography is one of my skills too.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, very cool.

[Player 1]

I would hope that I would kind of know a little bit of where he wants to go.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. You know then that the path. You're gonna be able to follow the path for quite a ways, but eventually you're gonna have to lead the path. And based on kind of the things that he's talking about, you're thinking that there's gonna be some really, really rugged terrain up ahead. Okay.

[Player 5]

If it helps, I'm skilled at climbing, so I can climb whatever you want me to.

[Player 3]

As am I.

[Monte Cook]

Cool.

[Player 5]

We can both climb. We can check things out.

[Player 3]

You need the scouts.

[Player 4]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. So unless there's any other preparations, I.

[Player 2]

Would like a bottle of whiskey.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 2]

That'd be great. You never know, we might need it.

[Monte Cook]

The nights are probably gonna get cold.

[Player 2]

Oh, the child is.

[Player 4]

You could pour it into a wound.

[Vulgar History Podcast Host]

If you needed to.

[Player 2]

Or just drink it.

[Monte Cook]

All right. You know that your journey is gonna start on the path, like I said, and it's not too rough going at first, but even after a few hours of this traveling down the path, there's trees all around. The leaves haven't quite started turning, but you know that they're going to soon. But even after just those short few hours, when you look over, you can see that Maro's already getting a little winded. This is more physical exertion than you think. And in fact, Adaran, you think there might actually be more going on here than just someone who's not very physically fit. He might actually have some kind of debilitation and makes you probably even more concerned about the journey ahead. Hey, Morrow.

[Player 1]

Are you feeling okay?

[Monte Cook]

I'm fine.

[Player 1]

Can I examine him in some way?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

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[Monte Cook]

He's thin. He's slight.

[Player 1]

Should we carry him? Could we carry him?

[Player 5]

Could I carry him?

[Monte Cook]

You are extraordinarily strong.

[Player 5]

I'm very, very strong.

[Player 1]

Maybe for the rest of the day, Davilu carries you and we can continue on the way you want to go.

[Monte Cook]

Well, I don't want to be a burden.

[Player 5]

Not a burden. I'm so strong.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 3]

All right.

[Player 5]

So I lift him up onto my shoulders and we're just walking like this.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. You're right. He's nothing to you. He's super light. He's probably 16, 17 years old, but he's built probably more like a 12 or 13 year old.

[Player 1]

Can I ask you something? Does it feel like this has been. As we're getting closer to the destination, is it affecting him in some way?

[Monte Cook]

Or does this feel like this is.

[Player 1]

How he's always been?

[Monte Cook]

You think that Quite possibly. Mara is even more frail than he was letting on back in the village. Okay, okay.

[Player 5]

I don't know much about all the previous worlds that were around, so he might be connected to it in one way, and it's making him weaker, being.

[Player 2]

Taken away from it, draining his.

[Player 5]

That's a theory that I have, not a bad theory.

[Monte Cook]

Well, eventually you do get to that point where, with your knowledge of geography, you knew this was coming, where you're gonna have to just kinda leave the path and go overland. The trees here grow up. There's two different kinds of trees, but the most interesting of them are these very fat, rounded trunked trees. They look like they have almost like blue blood veins that run up through the trunk and into the branches. And you can sort of see like the peristaltic action of something moving through these vines up into the blue leaves of the trees. Then the other trees are sort of more conventional, the kinds of things that, you know, we would think of normally with green leaves and whatnot.

[Player 1]

I've got a book on flora and fauna.

[Monte Cook]

Yes, you do.

[Player 1]

Could I recognize this? And compared to something in my book.

[Monte Cook]

Yes, yes. And you know, you're not so far from home, too, that these are wildly unknown to you. So these trees are called tarrel trees, and in the spring they produce these really interesting, big, juicy berries. The village.

[Player 1]

Edible.

[Monte Cook]

Yes, the village makes great use out of them. Unfortunately, it's not spring, so they're not going to be able to be a food source for you now. But your book actually might be helpful if it comes to that. And you need to find out which plants are edible or whatnot. It's a good resource.

[Player 3]

I also have under skills, botany and plants.

[Monte Cook]

Oh, that's perfect. Yeah. So you know all about these things too.

[Player 5]

So he was looking through his book when you knew.

[Player 1]

Tell me next time.

[Monte Cook]

Save some time off into the trees then. And the going gets really rough very, very quickly. You're clambering over rocks and pulling yourself over fallen trees. And this goes for a couple more hours. Morrow's doing okay on your back, right?

[Player 2]

He took a couple naps. Right.

[Player 5]

I've had to balance him.

[Monte Cook]

Wake up Maro and the rest of you, you're doing okay, but it's. It's hard going. It's probably hardest going on you. But up ahead, you see what is going to be a true challenge. And that is there is a very, very steep, rocky incline up ahead that's going to actually require real climbing.

[Player 4]

I can do that.

[Player 3]

I was going to volunteer to climb up and maybe try to find an anchor to maybe pull, put some rope over the ledge to help everyone climb up.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. So here, I brought this rope.

[Player 4]

Yeah, Bix can offer the rope. Because Bix also has a rope.

[Player 3]

How steep and how tall are we talking?

[Monte Cook]

You think that this incline, I mean, it's not a vertical cliff, but it's a pretty steep incline. What's worse is it looks like it goes up and with your skill in climbing, you think you'll be able to handle it. But then it levels off and there's a place to kind of stop and rest. But then it's an almost vertical clim cliff of maybe like 40, 50ft. And that's gonna be a real challenge. So here's how we do tasks in Numenera. Here's how we handle this kind of challenge. There's an important concept here which we call effort. And you'll see that on the top of your sheet it should say effort one. Here's how this works.

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[Monte Cook]

When you come to a challenge like you're about to with this cliff, I as the game master, assess basically the challenge rating of the challenge. And it's a number between 1 and 10, 1 being the easiest, 10 being the hardest. Right? We all kind of understand 1 to 10 scales. What I will do is I will assess a challenge for the cliff. So for example, that first incline is a difficulty three. Now what you as players can do is you can reduce the difficulty that I have assessed. So one of the easiest ways is that if you've got skill in climbing, if you're trained, you're gonna reduce the difficulty by one, and so you're gonna make a challenge three into a challenge two. So it's easier for you than it is for anyone else. But effort is a very key factor here. Effort is you deciding this task that I am going to undertake right now is really important to me and so I am going to spend some of my limited resource to really focus on this. And that limited resource is the points in your pool. So for example, in this particular task, it's going to be might because you're going to be using your strength to climb up this incline. And so if you spend three points of might, you'll reduce the difficulty of the task one more step, right? So for you who's trained, you'd reduce it down to one. Now if you reduce the difficulty of something down to zero, you don't even need to make a roll. You just do it. Otherwise, what I will do as the game master is I will take the final assessed challenge. Right. So in that case, we reduce it down to one maybe and I look at what the target number is. The target number is always three times the challenge. So you'd need to roll a three or higher on a 20 sided die. That's not that hard. So that means a difficulty one task, not that hard. But you can see how it scales up. Right. Once you get up To a difficulty six task, you need to roll an 18 or higher to succeed. So with that in mind, you're seeing this first incline is a difficulty 3 climbing task. Sounds like you guys are gonna lead the way. Yeah, yeah.

[Player 5]

So I have also jumping skill. Could that lower it at all?

[Monte Cook]

You could choose sort of one. There are like two different strategies, right?

[Player 5]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

Either one of them you could try. You could try to just sort of leap from sort of big boulder to big boulder kind of thing, or you could try to climb.

[Player 5]

Well, I guess I'll stick with climbing.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 5]

And I feel good about it being a level two, so I'm all right with rolling with that.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. And so what you'll do is you'll roll. You're looking for a 6 or higher for success.

[Player 4]

Okay.

[Player 5]

First roll. We're doing it.

[Player 2]

You got this. You don't got this.

[Player 5]

I got a two.

[Monte Cook]

You got a two. Okay. So you get about halfway up this steep incline and suddenly a rock that you're holding onto comes loose and you slide back down the incline. Now you're trained in climbing, so you're not tumbling down, head over heels or anything. You slide down, but you don't get up the incline. And you've learned that on top of things, some of these rocks are kind of loose and there's a lot of rocks up there and that could be dangerous.

[Player 3]

Should I try?

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 3]

Do we get to try? So if we fail once, do we get to try again?

[Monte Cook]

You can, but here's the trick. If you are going to retry the same task again the second time, you have to use effort.

[Player 3]

Oh, okay.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. So you know that it is a difficulty three. Okay. And you're trained, so that makes it a difficulty 2. Now you can use effort to make it a difficulty one, or you can try to roll a two.

[Player 3]

I have to roll higher than what number if I'm doing a difficulty 2, 6 or higher. I'm just gonna. I'm gonna try.

[Player 1]

Okay.

[Player 3]

Okay. 17.

[Monte Cook]

17 is great.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

So Shanza scales this first step in the incline, gets up to sort of that ledge that I was mentioning, although you're looking ahead, and it actually looks like it's gonna be difficult here. Four going up the second part, so it's gonna be harder. But you brought rope with you.

[Player 3]

I did.

[Monte Cook]

And so rope in a climbing task is an asset. So now, if Shanza lowers that rope down, all of you are going to have the difficulty essentially reduced by yet another step.

[Player 2]

Oh, very nice.

[Monte Cook]

Now, I should probably, at this point, also bring up the issue of Morrow. How are you gonna get Morrow up this?

[Player 2]

I thought he played a part in why you rolled the two, you know.

[Monte Cook]

Oh, he's holding.

[Player 5]

I was trying to climb with. So I've worked so far. Can't climb with Maro. He's just holding me back. Would it be crazy if using that big old blanket that I found, making that into, like, a kind of bag that we tie to the end of the rope and putting Maro in it.

[Monte Cook]

And then just hoist him up when you're up there?

[Player 2]

He's a little dude.

[Monte Cook]

All right, that sounds like a plan. Maro will wait down at the base of the cliff while the rest of you try to make it up.

[Player 4]

Well, wait. Shouldn't one of us wait down?

[Player 2]

I'll wait with him.

[Monte Cook]

That's up to you.

[Player 4]

Help Maru get in.

[Player 2]

Yeah, I'll put him in the bag.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. Shanza's already up to the first ledge. Who wants to try to go next?

[Player 1]

Why don't we have Dabilu go next, and then we'll stay down with Morrow.

[Player 5]

Yeah, I can try again.

[Player 1]

So three of us are guarding, so.

[Player 5]

I have to spend an effort.

[Monte Cook]

Well, the conditions have changed because the. Now there's a rope. So it's basically a whole new action for you. So you don't have to use effort if you don't want to.

[Player 5]

Cool.

[Monte Cook]

So it's a difficulty of three, but one level of skill and the rope are already gonna make it one.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 2]

Great.

[Monte Cook]

If you did want to use effort, that would make the difficulty zero, and you wouldn't even have to roll.

[Player 2]

I have a question about that. If we use effort, what does that do? Like, that takes away something from us.

[Monte Cook]

It takes away three points from your pool. Now, remember when we made our characters, some of you have an edge in your stat, and edge reduces the cost of things, including effort. So if you're doing something and you're using a stat that you've got edge in, effort's only going to cost you.

[Player 2]

Two rather than three, and that's permanent.

[Monte Cook]

No, no, no, no.

[Player 1]

Yeah. When does our pool get replenished?

[Monte Cook]

There will be plenty of opportunities. Opportunities for you to restore your pools. It's not too hard, particularly at first, actually. Just resting. You can just take a pill.

[Player 2]

I don't need to take my pills all the time.

[Player 5]

Cool. Well, since it's only a level one difficulty, I'm gonna roll.

[Player 2]

I think you got this.

[Player 5]

Nine.

[Monte Cook]

All right.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Got it. No problem.

[Player 3]

Do that.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, so our. Our two trained, skilled climbers are up. What about the rest of you?

[Player 1]

Let's tie Moro up next. Send him up.

[Player 2]

Yeah. He means more to this journey than we do.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. For this first incline, because your plan's kind of ingenious, and you've got this sort of sling for to pull him up. And if both of you work together, you don't even have to make a roll to get Morrow up. You can just get him up to that.

[Player 5]

I knew that blanket would come in handy.

[Player 4]

I think Bix is gonna step forward and nod.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Sure.

[Player 4]

And do I roll now?

[Monte Cook]

Yes.

[Player 3]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

Yes. So you've got the rope, and you're not trained in climbing, Correct?

[Player 4]

Well, I do have climbing as a skill.

[Monte Cook]

Oh, then yes.

[Player 4]

But I don't know, because you also had said something earlier that I have an inability in movement.

[Monte Cook]

Oh, right.

[Player 4]

So I'm not quite sure how that works.

[Monte Cook]

Unfortunately, those things cancel each other out.

[Player 5]

Okay.

[Player 4]

Did I cancel all my skills out?

[Monte Cook]

No, no, no, no. Just the climbing.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 2]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

So basically, you've overcome your inability in climbing by training in climbing.

[Player 4]

But I'm not good at it.

[Monte Cook]

Right.

[Player 3]

Well.

[Monte Cook]

And, you know, let me actually take this opportunity to say that, like, you're not limited by your character sheets. You can try anything. And even if you're not trained in a skill, you can always try the action. It's just trained just means you're a little bit better than everyone else.

[Player 4]

Oh, okay.

[Player 2]

Can we. Can I help them up?

[Monte Cook]

Ah, that is a great question. And the answer is yes. So what you can do is you can provide a little bit of assistance, and because you're not trained in climbing, you can give them a plus one on a die roll. It's a little bit of a help. If you're actually trained in this and you help someone else, you give them the full benefit of your skill, so you actually reduce the difficulty, which is a bigger step than just adding to the die roll.

[Player 2]

So if they have the rope down.

[Monte Cook]

I.

[Player 2]

Help them up on that end. Then would that be, like, double the.

[Monte Cook]

Well, so the aid that they're providing is basically the rope. So they're already reducing difficulty.

[Player 2]

Got it.

[Monte Cook]

Yeah. And then because I'm assuming what you're. You're up there and kind of holding the rope. Is that. Is that the case? Yeah.

[Player 3]

And probably. Unless there was, like, something we could tie the rope to up there or around.

[Monte Cook]

Well, there are plenty of rocks, but you've already seen that.

[Player 3]

Yeah. Don't trust those rocks. We're strong enough. We can do this.

[Player 4]

You know, Bix is pretty little.

[Monte Cook]

Yeah, that is true. All right.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Big.

[Player 4]

So should I roll?

[Monte Cook]

I got.

[Player 4]

And how many do I need to get?

[Monte Cook]

So it's a difficulty three, but you've got a rope, which makes it difficulty two.

[Player 4]

Okay, but I multiply it by three.

[Monte Cook]

Also, you need to roll a six or higher, but Ajnya is helping you, so you get a plus one on this die roll to get six or higher.

[Player 2]

Get a little boost.

[Player 3]

Awesome.

[Player 4]

It's a 16.

[Monte Cook]

No problem. You just scramble up that.

[Vulgar History Podcast Host]

Great.

[Monte Cook]

How do you. When you think of bickering, climbing up these rocks, how do you see it?

[Player 4]

Because Byx is so tiny. There's a speed and an agility, and even when rocks start to move a little bit, Byx is so fast. Byx just sort of jumps off of the edge of it.

[Player 5]

Is it wrong to picture them like a cat? They're very stealthy.

[Player 4]

Yeah, sort of like a cat. Bix is a cat and has a good sense of balance. In that sense, they're very aware of their body.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, still two guys down on the ground.

[Player 1]

I start eyeing them up. Which one of us is stronger?

[Player 2]

I got an idea. We both take a shot of the whiskey and add to the difficulty.

[Monte Cook]

It's just one shot. Yeah, just one shot.

[Player 2]

Whoever doesn't cough after goes up first.

[Monte Cook]

All right, you ready? All right, get up there.

[Player 2]

There you go.

[Player 5]

We're looking down. What are you doing?

[Monte Cook]

We're on our way.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

We're on our way.

[Player 2]

We're having some fun. I have no climbing skills.

[Monte Cook]

Right, but you've got a rope.

[Player 2]

But I've got a rope. I got a little liquid courage, so that's got to be worth, like, 10 points.

[Monte Cook]

So it sounds like either you use effort, spend some money points out of your might, or. I think so, yeah. Okay.

[Player 2]

I mean, what is it, like one point or two?

[Monte Cook]

Two. Or you need a six or higher.

[Player 2]

Six or higher. Oh, yeah. With the rope.

[Monte Cook]

Yeah.

[Player 1]

Now, before he rolls. So from What I'm learning, every level of difficulty is an extra three on the dice.

[Monte Cook]

Yep. Does that look sort of behind the curtain? That is exactly what happens.

[Player 1]

And does that pretty much apply to almost anything you're doing with effort, or.

[Monte Cook]

This is the way all actions are done.

[Player 2]

Okay, great. All right, Ash. Now let's do this.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Greetings, adventurers. I've got a question for all the gamers out there. Are you seriously gonna miss out on Alienware's holiday event? What are you doing? These are holiday prices we're talking about. It's not just another sale.

[Monte Cook]

It's big.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

I took a look, and this is some pretty gigantic bang for your buck. I'd say a big bang. Even if I had to use something alliterative that implies something massive. You know, it's Alienware. They have some of the most advanced engineering out there with systems at the tippity top of reviewers lists. And what about a gift for yourself? Haven't you been a good person? Don't you deserve nice things from time to time? I think so. Gift yourself a new Alienware 16 Area 51 gaming laptop. This bad boy's got performance at the absolute next level with Intel Core Ultra processors. Plus, you can save on all kinds of displays and accessories, like the Alienware 32 4K QD OLED gaming monitor for ultimate visual fidelity, which is the best kind of fidelity. These really are some incredible deals on PCs that have otherworldly performance. So if I were you, I would cancel my plans. I would visit alienware.com deals right now and I would grab what I could before. Before it's too late. Greetings, adventurers. While I grew up in New England, I've lived in California for 15 years now. And the winter nights get deceptively cold, and my flesh keeps getting weaker and weaker. My blood is so thin now. And also, I think they use, like, tissue paper for insulation here. Anyway, that means I need my wardrobe to keep me warm and keep me looking fresh as hell this holiday season. And that's where the fine folks at Quint's come in. They make it easy to look sharp, feel good, and find gifts that last, from Mongolian cashmere sweaters to Italian wool coats. Quince pieces are crafted from premium materials and are built to hold up without the luxury markup. Quince makes the essentials that every guy Mongolian cashmere sweaters for 50 bucks, Italian wool coats that look and feel designer, and denim and chinos that fit just right. Each piece is made from premium materials by trusted factories that meet rigorous standards for craftsmanship. And ethical production. And by cutting out middlemen and traditional markups, Quince delivers the same quality as luxury brands at a fraction of the price. It's everything you actually want to wear, Built to hold up season after season. And to make sure that I look good at all the upcoming holiday parties, I picked up a Mongolian cashmere sweater polo that is as comfy as it is stylish, which is to say very. And for turning into a goblin at home, I nabbed a pair of fleece joggers that feel like stepping into a warm hug. I love putting them on. And since I'll finally have some time at home to dig into some projects, I might also have to pick up some new curtains because Quints also has amazing home goods. Did you know that? It's crazy, but true. So get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait. Go to quints.com criticalrole for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Quince Q U I n c e.com criticalrole Free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com criticalrole Ooh, five.

[Monte Cook]

You're five. All right. So you climb up. You're almost up there. And then it's another loose rock. Same thing that happened to Deviloo. But you're not as skilled as she is, so you kind of tumble down. You don't land quite as gracefully as she did, and you are going to suffer a point of damage from that. However, are you wearing armor?

[Player 2]

Well, yes. And I was wondering if it's possible, could I hedge magic really quick in.

[Monte Cook]

Anyway, Hedge magic is mostly for, like, moving really little items and stuff. It's probably not going to be powerful enough to hold up your weight.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Oh, okay.

[Monte Cook]

But you are wearing armor.

[Player 2]

I am wearing light armor, yeah.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. So you bang your shoulder as you roll down this incline, but you've got some leather padding there, and it could have been worse, so you don't actually take it.

[Player 2]

Okay, good.

[Player 5]

Was the whiskey worth it?

[Player 2]

I'm taking another shot. Now, you still have that bottle, though.

[Monte Cook]

You can't handle your liquor.

[Player 1]

Now, if he has an armor of one, would that knock? Does he now have an armor of zero or. It still protects him.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Okay.

[Player 2]

It's just slow.

[Player 1]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

It just means every time he takes damage, he reduces it by one.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

All right.

[Monte Cook]

All right. So do you want to try again?

[Player 2]

Let's try again.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Okay.

[Monte Cook]

Now this one.

[Player 2]

Can I get a little boost?

[Player 5]

Yeah.

[Player 1]

Let me give you A boost.

[Player 5]

Sure.

[Monte Cook]

You'll get a plus one. But this time, remember I said if you're going to retry a task, you have to use effort.

[Player 2]

That's right.

[Monte Cook]

So you're going to reduce. You're going to basically spend three points from your might pool. You want to keep track of what your permanent might pool is, which is. And then, like a temporary.

[Player 2]

So. Okay. Which would be a nine.

[Monte Cook]

Okay. So since you spent that effort, now you only need a three or higher.

[Player 2]

I got it. Come on, now. Six.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, no problem.

[Player 2]

Where were you before, buddy?

[Player 1]

All right, I'm just gonna use the effort.

[Monte Cook]

All right, so that is gonna bring it down to a difficulty of one, and you're gonna need just a three or higher. All right, no problem. No problem.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Cool.

[Monte Cook]

You're all up on that ledge, but there's still another even more difficult climb ahead of you. How are you gonna proceed?

[Player 3]

I mean, I can go up, do the same thing I did last time.

[Player 5]

Yeah.

[Player 3]

You said this is a difficulty four.

[Monte Cook]

It is.

[Player 3]

And so then with my climbing be.

[Monte Cook]

Difficulty, it would be three. If you want to use effort, then.

[Player 3]

It would be difficulty two.

[Monte Cook]

Right. And here's another thing, though. Since you have a friend here who is trained in climbing, if one of you stayed down to help, you would get the full benefit. Like, you could share the benefit of your training. Right. And you basically be telling them, you know, put your hand here, put your foot there, and kind of giving them that boost, which is better than the plus one.

[Player 5]

Can I also help with her difficulty?

[Monte Cook]

Yes, absolutely.

[Player 5]

Okay, so that's level one. Right.

[Player 3]

So I just need to roll a three or higher.

[Monte Cook]

Now your difficulty's four. You're trained and she's trained.

[Player 3]

Yeah.

[Monte Cook]

That makes it difficulty two.

[Player 3]

And then if I do effort, then.

[Monte Cook]

You could make it difficulty one.

[Player 3]

I'm gonna do it. Let's do effort.

[Monte Cook]

All right.

[Player 3]

Okay. Eight.

[Monte Cook]

Perfect. Perfect. You are up at the top of.

[Player 3]

This rise, and then I'm going to toss the rope back down.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 5]

What's up there?

[Player 3]

What is up there?

[Monte Cook]

It looks like there's. It gets a lot more gentle. Basically, you're not going to face another big climbing challenge like this 4A ways. If you head off in the same direction you've been going in more trees and maybe some more interesting sites beyond just this immediate view, but it looks at least like it's safe up here.

[Player 3]

Okay. Is there a tree I can tie the rope to nearby?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Yes.

[Monte Cook]

Mm.

[Player 3]

I'm gonna do that.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 3]

Do I have to roll to tie it?

[Player 2]

No.

[Player 5]

Okay, Right now It's for me. Two. It's a level two difficulty.

[Monte Cook]

Yes. If you want to go up next.

[Player 5]

But I don't want to go up next because I'm gonna help everybody else get up.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, let's set marrow up.

[Player 5]

Yeah, let's get Maro up there.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 2]

Is he still in the bag or are we putting him back in?

[Monte Cook]

Put him back in the bag.

[Player 2]

He's like, ah.

[Player 3]

Could we, like, double team with the telling people how to climb, where to put their feet and stuff?

[Monte Cook]

Yeah. It becomes redundant after. Right.

[Player 5]

Is there any difficulty to getting marrow.

[Monte Cook]

Up so you're up there by yourself? So if you're gonna pull up Maro all by yourself, there probably would be a roll involved. But if there was just one more person up there to help you, then you wouldn't even have to worry about it.

[Player 3]

Okay, so we should probably pull Maro up after someone else's, and I have.

[Player 5]

To stay down here to help everybody else up. So who would like to go up next?

[Player 2]

I'll go up next.

[Monte Cook]

All right, so difficulty four, but you've got a rope, you've got someone trained helping you. So that makes a difficulty two.

[Player 2]

So I roll.

[Monte Cook]

It would be a six or higher. Unless you want to use effort again.

[Player 2]

Come on now. 17.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, no problem. You get up to the top. You're there with Shanza. Two of you could easily pull up. Marle, we got this. Okay, no problem. You got half of your group up. All the way up to the top. Now go ahead, Bix Biggs will step.

[Player 4]

Forward and not use any might. I will just roll to go.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, so it's gonna be the same. The six that you need. Six or higher. Oh, that's a two, and you rolled a two.

[Player 5]

I'm gonna. I'll say it was my bad. I told you to grab the wrong rock. I feel really bad.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, so in this much more steep, almost vertical incline, when Bix loses their grip, Bix actually falls. But if one of you wanted to try to catch them, you could.

[Player 5]

I'm willing to give it a try. Yeah.

[Player 2]

You're still down there, Bix.

[Player 5]

I got you. How much?

[Player 2]

So strong.

[Monte Cook]

So here's the nice thing. You're strong and you are trained in climbing, and so you've seen people fall before. Right. You've been in this situation in the past, so you can apply that which is gonna make the difficulty here just a 2. So a 6 or higher to catch Bix.

[Player 5]

All right.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 2]

Come on, Bix.

[Monte Cook]

Let's go, Bix.

[Player 5]

I'm coming for you. 16 got them in my arms.

[Player 2]

Very nice.

[Player 3]

Bix gives you a hug.

[Monte Cook]

Okay.

[Player 5]

And I go, get off of me.

[Monte Cook]

All right.

[Player 4]

So now I have to try again, but I use my might.

[Monte Cook]

Yes. You're gonna have to spend three points of might. That will make the difficulty just down to one because you're still getting help. You've still got a rope and you're using effort.

[Player 4]

14.

[Monte Cook]

Yay.

[Player 4]

Thanks, everyone, for your help.

[Monte Cook]

All right.

[Player 2]

Good job. Big yes.

[Player 1]

My guy is a wild man. It's just difficulty of two. Right?

[Monte Cook]

So with the rope and with help.

[Player 1]

I'm just going for it.

[Monte Cook]

All right. Maybe some crack on the electricity. Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 2]

11.

[Monte Cook]

All right, cool. You are up at the top with everyone else. I think that brings everybody up there except for you.

[Player 5]

All right, guys, we'll be up there in a sec.

[Player 2]

Still very confident.

[Monte Cook]

You're trained and you've got a rope. Makes it a difficulty of two. Looking for a six.

[Player 5]

Great.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Sixteen.

[Monte Cook]

Nice.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Perfect.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, you're all up at the top of this cliff. Things level out here. The path looks a little. It's not really a path, but the going looks like it's going to get easier now that you've really crested this major barrier. Not only that, but you can see that this incline that you have just ascended, you can see outlines of structures that, in fact, what you've just climbed isn't really truly a cliff, but it is an ancient structure that has been erected, eroded and covered with rock and stone for so many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years that it now looks like a cliff. But up here, you can tell it's actually some kind of structure. And these kinds of sites are fairly common in the ninth world.

[Player 2]

I say we explore it.

[Player 5]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Let's do it.

[Monte Cook]

Okay, cool. Well, we'll see if you discover anything interesting in there. Next time on Starter Kit.

[Player 1]

Yeah, next time on Starter Kit.

[Monte Cook]

There's something else moving around in here.

[Player 1]

I need to see what's going on.

[Monte Cook]

There's something just right in front of you. Who's leading the way?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

We're going to put a Spotify ad out there and then nothing's going to change. Like, we don't know anything about advertising, so we're. We're dumb. I hate agreeing with you. I'm okay. I'm telling you right now, we're not agreeing on the bonus.

[Monte Cook]

Okay?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

I don't wait often week to get on here and then just say you. You know what? I agree with what you just said. That's stupid.

[Monte Cook]

Cool.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice 1]

Click the link or go to who's rightpodcast.com to listen.

[Vulgar History Podcast Host]

Oh the Regency Era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place or the time when Jane Austen wrote her book, but the Regency Era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. And on the Vulgar History podcast, we're going to be looking at the balls, the gowns and all the scandal of the Regency era. Vulgar History is a women's history podcast and our Regency Era series will be focusing on the most rebellious women of this time. That includes Jane Austen herself, who is maybe more radical than you might have thought. We'll also be talking about queer icons like Anne Lister, scientists like Mary Anning and Ada Lovelace, as well as other scandalous actresses, royal mistresses, rebellious princesses, and other lesser known figures who made history happen in England in the Regency era. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get podcasts.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Host]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a storm that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the Shadowdark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark.