FAQ
What the hell is this?
This is a podcast, an internet-based audio show, wherein the five of us play the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game for your entertainment (hopefully). More specifically, we are playing an Adventure Path known as Tyrant's Grasp, a horror-themed pre-written adventure set in the world of Golarion, a world specifically designed to contain the Pathfinder game setting.
Who the hell are you?
We are a group of 6 nerdy friends who mostly enjoy each others' company and thoroughly enjoy playing games. We find ourselves rather amusing and we think you will, too. If you're reading this, then hopefully you've already at least started listening to the podcast, and for that we sincerely thank you.
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For more info about us, check out the Players page.
Where the hell can I find you guys?
Lucky for you, we have made ourselves available everywhere fine podcasts can be found. We're still not sure why they let us on those platforms, but we are on them regardless. Below are a few of the more popular options for platforms, but however you choose to listen to podcasts, we can be found with a quick search for Inspired Incompetence.
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Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Podbean | Spotify | Stitcher
What the hell is Pathfinder?
Pathfinder is a tabletop roleplaying game developed by Paizo Publishing, Inc. It was created and released as an updated version of version 3.5 of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) back in 2008 after many players of 3.5 felt disheartened with the release of version 4.0 of D&D. In the immortal words of Douglas Adams, "This had made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." So, in comes Paizo to the rescue.
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Paizo had, before this time, been the publisher of both Dungeon and Dragon Magazine, two official D&D publications owned and licensed by Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns and produces D&D. With the release of D&D 4.0 in 2008 Paizo decided to branch off on their own and created the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game using the D&D 3.5 rules as a basis, but updating them and fixing some perceived problems. Pathfinder is also known on occasion as D&D 3.75.
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Pathfinder was released in 2009 to compete directly with D&D 4.0 and outsold D&D for the next several years until the release of D&D 5th Edition in 2014. 5th Edition D&D has reclaimed the top spot of tabletop RPGs for the moment, but with the upcoming public playtest and release of Pathfinder's 2nd Edition, that may very well change.
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To find out more about Pathfinder, check out Paizo.com for information about all of the fine products made by Paizo Publishing.
What the hell is an Adventure Path?
An Adventure Path is an officially created, pre-written campaign published by Paizo that guides the Game Master (GM) through the story that the players are participating in. Adventure Paths (APs) are the main alternatives to what is known as homebrew campaigns, or campaigns that the GM makes up themselves for the players. Neither option is the "correct" way to play (there is no real "correct" way to play Pathfinder), but APs provide excellent pre-constructed stories for GMs and players to tell together, or at the very least a pre-made guideline for GMs to follow. It takes a lot of time and effort to put together and run a campaign, so APs are excellent ways for people to do that who normally wouldn't have the time to put into it.
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The AP that we have chosen to play is known as Tyrant's Grasp. It is a horror-themed campaign complete with undead, dungeons, big bad guys bent on taking over the world, and tons of spooky fun. We've been having an absolute blast playing it and we hope you guys enjoy listening to it just as much!
How the hell can I play?
All you really need to get started playing Pathfinder is a set of dice (a 20-sided die, a 12-sided die, two 10-sided dice, an 8-sided die, a 6-sided die, and a 4-sided die), a pencil, some paper, and a group of friends that are interested in telling a story together. The dice and any other Pathfinder material you may want can be found either online or at your local game store.
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That same store will probably also host something known as Pathfinder Society, a regular night where people can gather at the store to play Pathfinder supplements crafted by Paizo specifically for that session. Or, at least, they will once we push through this pesky pandemic. This is a great way to find other people in your area who play Pathfinder.
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If the internet is more your thing, you can check out Roll20 or Foundry, two examples of what are known as Virtual Tabletop (or VTT) programs. They will allow you to set up and run games with people all over the world from the comfort of your own home.
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For more information and to have any questions answered that you may have, check out the Paizo forums, the Pathfinder subreddit, or check out the game's reference websites at D20pfsrd.com or ArchivesofNethys.com.
How the hell do I yell at you guys?
While we'd prefer if you didn't strictly yell at us, you can get in contact with us in several ways. You can email us anytime at InspiredIncompetence@gmail.com with any questions, suggestions, or feedback you might have, or just to ask us a question. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the discussion on Discord, where we're always available to chat.
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Also, if you enjoy the show, or even if you just feel like doing a favor for some desperate nerds, please rate us and review us in your podcast app of choice and tell your friend about us! It greatly helps us find new listeners and tells us we're not just wasting Matt's time with the editing process. Also, if you feel so inclined, you can help us keep this going by supporting us on Patreon where we have several tiers of support that can get you some cool rewards, including monthly articles, early access to episodes, access to an entire second AP, the chance to hang out with us, and even Inspired Incompetence swag!