Every week, Now You Know recaps the Know Direction content of the past week, previews the Know Direction content of the week to come, and shares the thoughts on the state of the network from the director of operations, Ryan Costello.
A few weeks ago, we announced that the Know Direction Podcast was going on hiatus, and that the rest of the staff had the option to take time off as well. We usually take a few weeks off this time of year and run a guest blogger takeover anyway to give staff a chance to recover after the Gen Con rush.
If you haven’t been checking the site regularly because you assume everyone took me up on that offer, I have news for you: No one did.
Throughout the hiatus, the majority of our blogs and podcasts other than our flagship has continued to release content. So I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff for their continued dedication to The Know Direction Network.
Alex Augunas: Currently our senior-most staffer, and the site’s original blogger, Alex is still finding the time to plan and host our monthly episodes of Know Direction: Beyond. He’s also the smith behind Know Direction’s Hero Forge content. Alex’s dedication shines through, and Know Direction wouldn’t be the network it is -and may never have become a multi-media network at all- without him.
James Ballod: James may say he “used to write Code/Switch” when he introduces himself, but he’s been contributing to the Network for over six years now, regularly joining Alex for new episodes of Know Direction: Beyond. His wit and outlook have shaped the network behind the scenes and in front of our fans. He’s more than just the guy who used to write Code/Switch.
Loren Sieg: Eagerly looking for a new co-host to take over for Luis on Legend Lore, Loren continues to play Lily on Know Direction’s Pathfinder actual play podcast, Adventurous. Loren loves networking, one of the main motivators for writing interactive columns Dear Dovah Queen and Bend The Knee.
Randal Meyer: Know Direction’s resident technomancer, Randal’s handling the site and Discord server since Perram’s departure. Although not a Know Direction project, Randal’s work on his Discord bot designed for immersive Play-by-Post roleplaying, RPG Sage, blows my mind. I’m especially thankful that he added Essence20 functionality to it, making it the premier Essence20 virtual tabletop option.
Vanessa Hoskins: I’ve talked before about how it feels like Vanessa’s been on the network for far longer than the four years, but that just shows how much content she’s contributed to in that time. She’s getting a break from her most prominent network duties while we rework The Know Direction Podcast, but continues to appear as Idonia on Adventurous.
Jason Keeley: As I shouted out to a month or so ago (Jason’s getting so many shout outs), Jason’s doing everything these days. Co-hosting Digital Divination and Upshift, and playing Oggdren on Adventurous, he’s one of our most prolific cast members.
Rob Pontious: Not only does Rob share his feelings about the latest Pathfinder content and open my eyes to other RPGs out there in Investing In, he also helps me justify bringing Essence20 content to the network. “We’re not just a Paizo products network,” I say. “We cover broad RPG content as well, like in Investing In.” Oh, Rob also plays Ev’etaewayr on Valiant, which will conclude soon.
Dustin Knight: Another staff member who feels like he should have far more seniority than my spreadsheet indicates, Dustin’s been writing Fox’s Cunning for almost four years (why, Halloween is his fourth anniversary), and took over production duties on Know Direction: Beyond from Vanessa. He’s technically only produced five Beyonds to date, which blows my mind. He fit right in as soon as he sat in the Beyond production chair.
John Godek: What a boon for the network John’s been. Although Intrepid Heroes dates back to 2019, the show joined the Know Direction Network in 2020. It’s one of three shows that John appears on, with him also hosting Presenting and Digital Divination. He’s one of our most prolific and consistent staff members, and the network’s lucky to have him.
Danielle Reynolds: Speaking of prolific, fans of Danielle’s board game podcast Game Design Unboxed have heard her journey from wanting to be a game designer to working full time in the industry with several credits to her name. GDU is a relic of a time when KD was broadening its content, but even if the show feels like a strange fit for the network, I’m so happy to have it an Danielle on board.
Nate Wright: Eldritch Excursion regularly surprises me with its unexpected topics and Nate’s hilarious ability to turn a phrase. I never know what to expect when a new Eldritch Excursion drops, and I love him for that.
Our Casts and Advisors: The rest of our staff is made up of cast members of our actual plays, and advisors whose opinions help shape the network. They include, in order of seniority, Cathy Dolan, Owen KC Stephens, Ron Lundeen, Stephanie Lundeen, Scott Keim, Mark Woolcott, Rob Helm, Jessica Redekop, Avi Kool, Scott Young, and Michelle Jones.
Speaking of Know Direction Network content, here’s a recap of the Know Direction podcasts, blogs, and streams from last week:
Recap of September 26th to 30th
What happened last week on knowdirectionpodcast.com and twitch.tv/knowdirection?
Monday, September 26th
Article
Now You Know – The Ability Score Challenge
I reminisced about an old idea for a viral video challenge, before any of that was a thing.
Tuesday, September 27th
Podcast
Young and Adventurous 010 – To the Dungeon
I experimented with a shorter episode this week, about 30 minutes instead of about an hour. It felt like we packed a lot into that time, and there was an unplanned but organic exit point when I cut the episode off. Curious how people felt about that.
Article
Fox’s Cunning — Eat, Play, Love: Three Meta-Session Activities
Using the latest Lost Omens hardcover, the Travel Guide, and other sources from outside Pathfinder, Dustin brings more of life’s little pleasures to the Downtime phase.
Wednesday, September 28th
Podcast
Presenting – Isis Wozniakowska
Speaking of packing a lot into half an hour, this was one of the shorter episodes of Presenting, but it covers a lot of ground. Isis really impressed me, being a scholar and world traveler who brings her experiences to her writing.
Thursday, September 29th
Article
Investing In: Pathfinder Infinite
By Rob Pontious
Rob reflects on some of the Pathfinder Infinite titles that he feels encapsulate the program best.
Preview of October 3rd to 7th
Block 1 of our 2-block schedule.
Monday, October 3rd
Podcast
Intrepid Heroes 096 – It’s A Trap
GM Ron Lundeen runs a band of misfits through the Starfinder Devastation Ark adventure path from Paizo.
Article
Now You Know – Shout Out To Our Content Creators
By Ryan Costello
I shout out to our content creators.
Tuesday, October 4th
Podcast
Game Design Unboxed 47: On The Rocks.
Danielle speaks with Michael Pittre on his co-design game On the Rocks, starting a company around this initial design, and how he sourced premium components and worked through the initial Kickstarter campaign not going their way.
Article
Eldritch Excursion
By Nate Wright
Nate Wright’s journal of flavour and mechanics.
Wednesday, October 5th
Article
Behind The Screens
By Ryan Costello
Veteran Game Master Ryan Costello talks with his fellow GMs on their side of the GM screen.
Thursday, October 6th
Podcast
Digital Divination 67
John and Jason talk Starfinder.
Friday, October 7th
Podcast
Upshift 004 – RAW, RAI, and The Rules
Ryan and Jason discuss where Rules As Written ends and Rules As Intended takes over.
Article
Iconic Design – Hero Forge Fridays
By Alex Auguna
Iconic Designs meets Hero Forge Fridays as Alex Augunas creates a mini and stat block every week.
Now you know,
Ryan Costello
