Season One of Acquisitions Incorporated (the primary podcast) was released as a weekly series available on the Wizards of the Coast website starting in May of 2008. Chris Perkins presents as the DM for the first four episodes with James Wyatt completing the final four episodes of the season, both gentlemen were game designers at the time for Wizards of the Coast (the company that published 4th Edition D&D. Some information in this season has been ret-conned by Jerry Holkins in the creation of the "C-Team" podcast. Any information that is no longer considered canon will be marked as such.
Episode Synopses
The first season of Acquisitions Incorporated begins with only the player characters of Binwin Bronzebottom, Omin Dran, and Jim Darkmagic. The season follows the 4th Edition adventure "Keep on the Shadowfell" with minor changes.
Episode 1
The episode begins with the players choosing their roles and explaining their characters. Mike Krahulik chooses the Wizard class and introduces Jim Darkmagic III, whom he almost renames to Jim Fellmagic, a magician from the "New Hampshire Darkmagics" (Chris Perkins later renamed the Newhamp Shire Darkmagics for fantasy consistency). Jerry Holkins presents Omin Dran (claiming that Dran was "short for something" that he hadn't decided upon at the time) a Half-Elf Cleric who worships Avandra, goddess of trade travel and fortunes. Scott Kurtz of PVP introduces Binwin Bronzebottom (he specifices that he required a butt be involved in his character's naming). Chris Perkins explains many of the rules of Dungeons and Dragons to Mike Krahulik, who had never before played, between setting the scene of the adventuring party's first adventure occurring in the town of Winterhaven. On the hunt for the creature known as 'Irontooth', the party discovers a "fell keep". While inspecting the keep Binwin almost immediately falls into a pit with a Swarm of Rats.
Episode 2
The party continues their battle against a Swarm of Rats while being ambushed by hidden goblins. This is the first episode where Omin is declared to be the CEO of Acquisitions Incorporated.The first natural one critical failure is rolled by Binwin Bronzebottom in this encounter. The party spends a great deal of time attempting to defeat a pair of goblins (also described perhaps erroneously as kobolds). One goblin escapes the party further into the keep while the other is decapitated by Binwin shortly after he rejoins his party ascending a rope. At the end of the episode Binwin spends Healing Surges to regain his HP.
Episode 3
The Party follows a trail of blood, left behind by the surviving goblin from the previous episode, down a flight of stairs. At the bottom they accidentally attract attention from zombies that attack them.Jim casts some new spells and eliminates several Zombie Rotters (in 4th Edition many low level creatures are referred to as "minions" and only have 1 hp). After initially moving on, a Zombie reanimates bringing the party back into combat. Omin smites the re-reanimated corpse and the party recuperates briefly before continuing down a corridor following the Goblin blood trail. Ahead down the corridor is an intersection that reveals a path that has a glyph inscribed upon the floor, the alternate path bears the blood trail of the Goblin. Binwin jumps ahead of the party quite literally leaping over the glyph which none in the party manage to identify. Omin identifies the Goblin's blood trail and traces it to a blank wall which he deduces must have a mechanism to open a secret door. Binwin discovers the mechanism with which to open the secret wall-door and leads the way into the next section of the keep.
Episode 4
Upon entering what is reveled to be a small empty crypt, the party is attacked as two crossbow bolts pass through the back wall of this chamber. The wall is revealed to be a magical illusion hiding several Goblins who are now shooting more crossbow bolts at the party. Binwin rushes through the illusory wall dispelling it and revealing the back half of this crypt to be a decrepit armory with a ragged suit of armor and a pair of weapon racks. One Goblin is clearly wearing a metal jaw device that has spiky iron teeth on it. A lengthy back and forth battle ensues, Irontooth gets splashed with acid before assigning one of his Goblin underlings to help flank the party. Omin is quickly surrounded and wounded as Binwin rushes to attempt to kill Irontooth and scatter the rest of the Goblins. Binwin activates his daily power (deprecated in 5th edition) and bloodies Irontooth while taking multiple attacks. Jim casts Burning Hands damaging two Goblins as well as Omin, who is then slain by an additional Goblin attack. Binwin moves to stabilize Omin while Jim is attacked by the Goblin previously striking at Binwin. The battle concludes with Binwin decapitating Irontooth, the last surviving Goblin (the same Goblin who struck Omin with a crossbow bolt in episode 2) falls to his knees pleading for mercy. The Goblin, who calls himself Splug, becomes a new hire who promises to lead the party to the location of the dark cultists hiding deeper in the tower. The episode ends with Omin, Jim, and Binwin discussing Splug's loyalty and a potential quick trip to Winterhaven to prepare for a deeper delve into the keep.
Episode 5
Acquisitions Incorporated
Episode 6
Acquisitions Incorporated
Episode 7
Incorporated
Episode 8
Acquisitions Incorporated.
Winterhaven
- The "N" Team (Team Nyad) - based out of The Merry Widow, Neverwinter
- The "B" Team (Team Bellerophon) - headquarters unknown
- The "C" Team - based out of the Dran & Courtier, Red Larch & the Dessarin Valley
References
[1] Acquisitions Incorporated Season 1 Episode 1, May 30 2008, http://www.acq-inc.com/portfolio/details/penny-arcade-pvp-s1-ep1
- ↑ Acquisitions Incorporated Podcast, May 30th 2008, http://www.acq-inc.com/portfolio/details/penny-arcade-pvp-s1-ep1