Our Most Recent Episode!
The Tower of the Dark Elves, Part 1 - Escape Plan
The party tries to escape from a dungeon. Hugo checks to see if the door is unlocked. Angelica wants to kill Nyx. Bob makes a new tiny friend. Vistra introduces herself.
How The Quest Was Won is an actual play tabletop role-playing game podcast. It features a group of friends playing different RPG's. The current campaign is using the Dungeons & Dragons 5e rules.
Four out of five dentists agree that it is weird to ask your dentist to review your RPG podcast.
Find us on:
Support us on:
Follow us on:
The original music from this podcast can be found at https://howthequestwaswon.bandcamp.com/
D&D 5e Character and World Building - How the Quest Begun
The players make their characters for our D&D 5e campaign. A princess steals a sword. A fairy gets exiled from her home. A blind wizard tries to figure out how to read a spellbook. A halfling learns to rollerskate.
The Heart of the Forest, Part 1 - The Unkindness of Ravens
The party enters Harwood Forest to investigate a mystery. Nyx learns about her fairy blade. Angelica brings a change of clothes. Hugo kills some mules. Bob knocks Hugo unconscious.
The Heart of the Forest, Part 2 - Better Safe Than Stupid
The party makes some friends and discovers a secret of the forest. Angelica is accommodated. Hugo ties up a druid. Nyx unties the druid. Bob knock Hugo unconscious, again.
The Heart of the Forest, Part 3 - Remember, This is a World of Magic
The party solves some puzzles. Bob feels some runes. Nyx murders some goblins. Hugo pulls on a rope. Angelica goes on a rant about dragonchess.
The Heart of the Forest, Part 4 - Trials of Beast and Branch
The party struggles. Hugo tries to cheer people up. Angelica remembers something. Bob plays with fire. Nyx fights a goldfish.
The First Annual Holiday Special
The party celebrates the Winter Solstice! Hugo explores the docks. Angelica learns the value of money. Bob electrocutes some ale. Nyx sings some carols.
The Heart of the Forest, Part 5 - The Fang of Iron
The party reaches the heart of the Maze! Hugo remembers the name of a duck. Nyx actually uses a cantrip. Bob puts Nyx inside his backpack. Angel discovers that she has an attack bonus.
Death and Taxes, Part 1 - The Fey New Year
The party tries their hands at tax evasion. Bob shows off his dance moves. Angel attempts to bribe a guard. Nyx flies outside. Hugo orders a drink at the bar.
Death and Taxes, Part 2 - If Only We Had A Royal Name We Could Use
The party decides on a plan of action. Angel makes a deal and then immediately goes back on it. Bob looks up useful spells. Nyx sneaks into the keep. Hugo offers some fashion advice.
Death and Taxes, Part 3 - A Thousand Paper Cuts
The party burns down a barn and confronts the Steward. Angelica does a deep voice. Hugo steals a horse. Bob buys a round for some helpful guards. Nyx disguises herself as a different pixie.
Death and Taxes, Part 4 - Two Eyes For Nothing
The party tries to get answers from the Steward. Bob practices some medicine. Angelica glares at everyone. Hugo mounts a pretend horse. Nyx straight up blinds a guy.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 1 - Arrival At Ivortor
The party arrives at the Ivory Tower to investigate the mystery of the red moons. Nyx flies up to a balcony. Hugo gets a second fake name. Angel interrogates a grieving father. Bob pours one out for Bramblebeard.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 2 - Scary Mike Wazowski
The party explores the ruins of the First Tower. Hugo opens a chest. Angelica reads an old note. Bob smells something. Nyx suddenly cares about a person's rights.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 3 - Trouble With A Capital T, Which Rhymes With B, Which Stands For Blood
The party heads to the Marshdocks to search for a brown slaad. Bob asks Nyx an offensive question. Hugo knows a lot about pirates. Nyx cuts Angelica’s hand. Angelica only does a deep voice when saying the name “Malak the Defiant.”
Of Moons and Magic, Part 4 - Angelica Has Zero Chill
The party completes their quest for the wizards of the Ivory Tower. Nyx sings her name to everyone. Hugo wins a game. Angelica shouts and makes sword noises. Bob joins an angry mob.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 5 - A Farewell To Farms
The party stops to investigate a ruined farmstead on their journey towards the home of the Mountain Elves. Bob grunts and gestures. Nyx learns how to persuade Angelica. Angelica ties a pretty good knot. Hugo talks to a goat.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 6 - Goats Love Oats
The party consults the Oracle of Gorthmar and arrives at the the mountain of the Mountain Elves. Nyx asks a question. Bob gives Angelica a magical push. Hugo throws his daggers away. Angelica defeats a pile of rocks.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 7 - What They Don't Teach In Princess School
The party arrives at Kaer-na-Yeldra-Daer, the village of the mountain elves. Nyx asks a lot of questions. Hugo is still good at killing. Angelica disarms someone. Bob sits on a rock.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 8 - "My Real Name is Thunderwave"
The party tracks the humans who raided the village of Kaer-na-Yeldra-Daer. Angelica plots an assassination. Bob thinks back to his time in wizard school. Hugo tries to join the Scouts. Nyx uses the sleep spell on enemies this time.
Of Moons and Magic, Part 9 - Throw Down The (Cold Iron) Gauntlet
The party faces off against the Iron Right Hand. Angelica his someone when they are down. Hugo starts a fire. Nyx flies away. Bob’s heart is broken.
The Legend of the Bleeding Moons, Part 1 - The Flight Of 'The Defiant'
The ancient fey heroes follow some magical moths eastwards. Penny Sparklegem rides a dog. Ilyana Farfina feints a bird. Tantimaller'verian ("Tim") tries to cast a "wood ray" spell. Valtor Carzana refuses to name his summoned creatures.
The Legend of the Bleeding Moons, Part 2 - Four Mages, No Featherfall
The ancient fey heroes discover the dangers of the Forest of Shadows. Ilyana Farfina gets their dog. Tim clicks his rods. Penny Sparklegem shouts that she’s hiding. Valtor Carzana contemplates turning himself into a duck.
The Legend of the Bleeding Moons, Part 3 - The Door Into The Mountain
The ancient fey heroes enter the mountain where arcane magic is being disrupted. Tim summons a pretentious steed (twice). Penny Sparklegem detects some doors. Valtor Carzana gets new headgear. Ilyana Farfina asks to speak to the manager.
The Legend of the Bleeding Moons, Part 4 - The First Sunrise
The ancient fey heroes finally locate the machine that is disrupting arcane magic. Ilyana Farfina uses a portable ram. Penny Sparklegem tries to get in between brothers. Valtor Carzana gets a bad sunburn. Tim questions an azer about a turtle.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 1 - Where Mountain Elf Babies Come From
The (original) party witnesses a ritual at the village of the mountain elves. Nyx has a medical issue. Bob gets a magic pebble. Hugo remembers something important from two arcs back. Angelica has some character development?
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 2 - Penny Sparklegem and the Sunny Side Ups
The party lays low… just kidding, they form a band. Nyx briefly becomes an emo musician. Bob sneezes. Angelica insults a bar patron. Hugo buys a drake a drink.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 3 - “Your Love Is As Pure As Egg Whites”
The party auditions for the job of wedding band. Bob remembers a dentist appointment. Nyx does voices. Hugo plays a viol now. Angelica talks to herself.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 4 - Bane Family Meeting
The party learns about Angelica’s past. Bob earns some money. Hugo gives money to a beggar. Nyx listens at a window. Angelica pushes some papers off a desk.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 5 - Cut to the Chase
The party runs away from a fight. Angelica gives a beggar an unwanted present. Bob joins a choir. Nyx takes a brief nap. Hugo leaves his friends (except for Nutmeg) behind.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 6 - Don’t Split The Party
The party has been split up! Angelica sneaks through some alleys. Bob becomes the steward. Nyx asks a wizard about a clone. Hugo becomes a pirate.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 7 - One Part Plot, The Other Part Just Funny Voices
Half of the party walks back to town, while the other half of the party deals with thieves. Hugo names a parrot. Bob’s voice gets tired. Angelica meets an old friend(?). Nyx declines the opportunity to use the bathroom.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Episode 8 - Death of a Pixie
The party plans to sell an evil artifact. Angelica pontificates. Hugo talks to a rat. Bob actually comes up with a pretty good plan. Nyx plays a farewell performance.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 9 - The Oracle of Gorthmar
The party uses a powerful magic item, and then they immediately sell it. Bob frets about other juices. Hugo celebrates a plan well executed. Angelica fulfills two promises. Nyx considers an offer.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 10 - Capers at the Cryken Embassy
The party visits the embassy of Cryker to learn more about the Crykenskaar. Nyx experiments with a new medium. Hugo fashions a crude pitchfork. Angelica talks to her almost future mother-in-law. Bob plans a vacation.
The Wedding of Angelica Bane, Part 11 - Here Come the Brides?
The party crashes a wedding. Angelica washes her hair. Bob hands out some programs. Nyx defiles a temple. Hugo stays at the door.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 1 - “The Darkness Commands It”
The party flees the Phyloran Capital and makes their way to the Harwood Forest. Bob makes a deal with an orc. Hugo escorts a goat. Nyx offers to play a song. Angelica stays unusually quiet.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 2 - Burning Bones and a Broken Blade
The party arrives in the Ashengrove and makes a discovery. Hugo uses a map. Angelica gets angry and reads a poem. Nyx plays an A diminished chord. Bob suggests sacrificing Nutmeg the Goat, twice.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 3 - Ode on a Draconic Urn
The party explores their first dungeon! Nyx opens an urn. Hugo opens two urns. Angelica shakes some urns. Bob doesn’t really do much, but his cat attacks a couple times.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 4 - No Rest for the Weary
The party tries to get some sleep. Angelica lights a lamp. Nyx regrets taking all necrotic spells. Bob uses an effective new spell. Hugo just stabs things.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 5 - What Rhymes With ‘Goblin’?
The party speak with Bramblebeard the Druid. Nyx is rude to some prisoners. Bob is confused about how powerful the druid is. Hugo hits the wishbone. Angelica wants to break another sword.
The Secret of the Ashengrove, Part 6 - The Fang of Death
The party confronts the dragonborn cult leader at the heart of the ruins. Bob becomes a dragonborn cultist. Hugo throws an urn. Nyx ignores a bad smell. Angelica gets touched.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 1 - “We’re Here to Hit the Snooze Button”
The party looks for a seaport. Bob sees some old schoolmates. Nyx talks to a blacksmith about a sword. Angelica runs into an old friend. Hugo provides some exposition.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 2 - Goat on a Boat and a Flail Snail
The party has a maritime melee with a magical mollusk. Hugo talks a bit about his home. Bob disappears. Nyx and Angelica rhyme. The Dungeon Master deeply regrets his choice of monster.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 3 - Bureaucracy in Action
The party fills out paperwork. Bob forgets the name of his homeland. Nyx weirdly complies with the law. Angelica is happy for the first time in a long time. Hugo doesn’t want his friends to stay at his house.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 4 - Seabiscuit and Landcookie
The party goes for a sail-wagon ride. Nyx inspires the sail-wagon crew. Bob does some rope tricks. Angelica grabs a wyvern. Hugo finally gets to use his roller-skates.
The Second Annual Holiday Special
The party celebrates the holiday of Winterfeast! Bob invites a contentious guest. Nyx makes some mooncakes. Hugo answers the door. Angelica spills some wine.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 5 - Learning the Ropes
The party does battle with wyvern-riding cultists! Hugo throws a rope. Angelica remembers her ranged weapon. Nyx backseat drives. Bob feel sheepish.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 6 - The Happy Halfling Home
The party arrives in South Jadeshire. Hugo returns to his home. Angelica is upset by a happy family. Bob creates an illusory shopkeeper. Nyx sneaks into a mountain.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 7 - “You’re Fired”
The party fights a fire elemental. Angelica uses a ranged weapon again. Bob stays a safe distance away. Hugo is on fire most of the fight. Nyx tells a joke(?).
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 8 - The Fang of Fire
The party confronts dragonborn cultists inside a volcano. Nyx formulates a plan. Hugo estimates the age of cave paintings. Bob curses. Angelica understands Draconic.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 9 - The Great Conflagration
The party escapes from an erupting volcano. Hugo rescues his friend. Bob finds a place to hide. Angelica picks up a rock. Nyx has the worst boyfriend ever.
The Fires of Sleepy Crag, Part 10 - The Sacrifice
The party contends with the Cult of the Five Fangs as they try to catch a boat in Glass Port. Hugo is sad for the first time. Angelica is glad she bought insurance. Bob saves a goat. Nyx delivers some bad news in a song.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 1 - Old Friends, New Enemies
The party arrives in the land of Cryker. Angelica buys a map. Nyx buys some potions. Bob buys a new spellbook. Hugo hears something important.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 2 - Party Foul
The party takes a detour to a mountain cave. Bob gets a pair of tight pants. Angelica looks for dwarves. Hugo is covered in pus. Nyx is caught lying.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 3 - The Darkness Inside Us
The party deals with a betrayal. Bob makes up a spell. Nyx ugly cries. Hugo looks at a map. Angelica finally apologizes.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 4 - Gloom and Doom
The party encounters shadow demons and dark elves. Bob lies poorly. Hugo gets a present. Angelica makes a horn sound. Nyx learns the dark elves’ plan.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 5 - Two Skulls and a Sword
The party talks to some knowledgable NPCs. Nyx is given a mission. Bob asks for powerful artifacts. Hugo stays unusually quiet. Angelica finally meets a dwarf.
April Fools’ Day Switcheroo - The Greatest Game Show!
The party are contestants on a game show. Bob has a keen mind. Nyx solves a puzzle. Angelica knocks a wizard unconscious. Hugo is particularly violent.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 6 - The Worst Laid Plans…
The party infiltrates the tower of the dark elves. Hugo has a skull in his inventory. Nyx talks to Angelica’s ex. Bob turns invisible. Angelica almost has a sincere thought.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 7 - To Save the Sun
The party begins a climactic battle at the top of the Crykenskaar Tower. Nyx learns about loans. Bob grabs some scrolls. Hugo offers to cast speak with animals. Angelica fights herself.
The Dark of the Crykenskaar, Part 8 - Nyx’s Choice
The party continues to battle the dark elves! Nyx is dunked in a healing potion. Hugo guards a button. Angelica stays unconscious the whole time. Bob always liked clone Angelica more anyways.
The Tower of the Dark Elves, Part 1 - Escape Plan
The party tries to escape from a dungeon. Hugo checks to see if the door is unlocked. Angelica wants to kill Nyx. Bob makes a new tiny friend. Vistra introduces herself.
Brendan Hainline is a graduate student. He has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for more than half of his life, starting with 3rd Edition in middle school. When not working on his dissertation or running D&D games, he enjoys (co-)writing webcomics. He also produces content for 5e Dungeons & Dragons on the DMs Guild.
- Twitter: @brendanhainline
- Webcomics: General Hardcastle's Cooking Corner (hiatus), Dot Comic (finished), Fraternity of Evil (finished)
- DMs Guild content
In the D&D 5e campaign, Brendan is the Dungeon Master. He creates the world (with help from the players). He also tries to do different accents for each NPC, with limited success.
Fei Cai is an Ob/Gyn. She has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for approximately 8 years, and she has also DM'ed in the past. She enjoys running, knitting, talking about birth control, and delivering babies.
- Twitter: @captainfakeeye
In the D&D 5e campaign, Fei plays as Nyx, the fairy bard, who has been estranged from her people after she was exiled for singing a bawdy song in front of the fairy king. Nix enjoys playing the zither and making up songs about her friends.
Karis Jones is officially an educational researcher and doctoral student. Unofficially, Karis is an enthusiast of cats, children's cartoons, webcomics and tacos raining from the sky. She has participated in many D&D games, though this is her first time on a D&D podcast.
- Twitter: @Karis_M_Jones
- Tumblr: goodinthisworldworthfightingfor
- Webcomics: Story of Saliria (finished)
In the D&D 5e campaign, Karis is Angelica Bane, a disguised princess with reflexive warrior skills and a (stolen) family heirloom broadsword named Bellator. Her (current) motto is "Better safe than stupid."
Eshan Mitra works as a scientist at a secret government facility in the mountains. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and reading webcomics, and playing games.
- Webcomics: Story of Saliria (finished), None of the Above (active)
- Games: Blob Battle
In the D&D 5e campaign, Eshan plays as Hugo Cloverleaf, a halfling who hails from a quaint little halfling town at the base of an almost extinct volcano. Hugo is extremely optimistic about adventure and life in general, and is unable to sense dangerous situations.
Ben Young is bad at meeting deadlines.
Ben plays Bob in the D&D 5e campaign. He's a wizard.
