The RPGBOT.Podcast
What do you get when you mix a disappearing god, a multiverse glitch, and a talking squirrel? Apparently, therapy. Show Notes: In this second helping of the Ash Ely Planescape Postmortem, the hosts dissect the juicy narrative meat of a campaign marinated in memory loss, Mind Flayers, and metaphysical trauma. From the desperate hunt for Orochalcum to the chaos of battling Cathraxus (yes, that Cathraxus), our hosts recount the highs, lows, and emotional collateral damage of storytelling across the planes. The episode dives deep into the decisions that shaped the campaign—like letting players...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts gather for a postmortem discussion on Ash Ely’s recent Planescape campaign—a wild ride through the Outer Planes where philosophy hits like a fireball and bureaucracy is deadlier than any dragon. With plenty of laughs and genuine reflection, the crew discusses their favorite moments, mechanical experiments, player decisions, and the challenges of storytelling in a setting where time is subjective, death is optional, and your base of operations might just be a sentient castle. This is a deep-dive into what makes a great campaign weirdly...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
In this Remastered Episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we summon the horrors that make your players ask, ‘Can I roll to nope?’ In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team delves into the weird, the squishy, and the utterly incomprehensible world of Aberrations—those delightful horrors that break the rules of reality and challenge players’ expectations. From Mind Flayers to Gibbering Mouthers, the hosts explore how these creatures can be used to discomfort, disorient, and delight your game table. Whether you’re looking to run a horror campaign, design a disturbing encounter, or just want to...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
New horror subclasses just dropped, and we’re here to reanimate them, roast them, and regret reading the action economy aloud. Support our friends at , because your dungeon shouldn't look like it was sketched during a Zoom call. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT crew proves that horror isn’t just for the subclasses—it’s also in trying to sync microphones. After wrestling with some haunted audio gremlins, the hosts dive headfirst into the latest Unearthed Arcana drop from Wizards of the Coast, which brings a trio of spooky new subclass options to the D&D table. First up: the...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
Crack open your Core Rulebook, dump stat Charisma, and calibrate your resolve points—because it’s time to roll initiative against entropy itself with the Starfinder Galaxy Guide, where space is weird, and the rules are weirder. This episode is brought to you by —because your players will never know you prepped their dungeon during the loading screen of Baldur’s Gate 3. In this multidimensional episode of The RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts open with an honest and humorous take on Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the emotional nuances surrounding both. The discussion then shifts into exciting...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
If your evil character isn’t at least pretending to be helpful, they’re not evil—they’re just unemployed. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the dark, morally murky world of evil characters in tabletop RPGs. With Ash leading the charge, the conversation focuses on how to play a character with evil tendencies without destroying the game, the party, or your friendships. The hosts explore different shades of evil alignments, the narrative value of morally compromised PCs, and offer practical advice on how to maintain group cohesion when one of the players...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
From pizza to invisibility puzzles and rogue mechanics, Episode 3 of Other Worlds takes you on a whirlwind ride through culinary hot takes, heist mechanics, and the joys (and pains) of Pathfinder 2. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT.Podcast team serves up a delightfully chaotic mix of culinary hot takes and deep tabletop RPG insights. Randall makes a chicken Caesar abomination. Tyler admits that he enjoys pineapple on pizza. The pizza talk eventually turns toward more tabletop territory, but not before a quick anecdote about a friend with a professional pizza oven makes...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
This episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast is brought to you by Dungeon Flow. – Because your dungeon deserves more than graph paper and panic. In Episode 3 of Other Worlds, the RPGBOT crew mixes magical mayhem with mundane mischief. What begins with a hilarious debate on olives and grooming spirals into a multi-layered roleplaying session filled with stealthy maneuvers, magical puzzles, and mirrored mysteries. The players explore the social dynamics of fantasy bartending, wrestle with illusions and invisibility, and uncover a portal to a parallel world that forces them to confront questions of...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the often-overlooked tool of language in tabletop RPGs—how it shapes worlds, defines characters, and enhances immersion. Whether it’s a dwarven curse word, a whispered draconic threat, or a gnomish pun that lands like a rock in a puddle, the power of language can turn a good campaign into an unforgettable one. The discussion explores the practical, narrative, and mechanical implications of language in TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The hosts share ideas for incorporating multilingualism into your campaign...
info_outlineThe RPGBOT.Podcast
Ever wonder what happens when you mix dark gods, self-driving cars, and a dysfunctional team of grimdark misfits with questionable decision-making skills? Welcome to the Warhammer 40K actual play recap you didn't know you needed. Episode Summary In this delightfully chaotic recap, the RPGBOT crew careens through a whirlwind of topics, from the pending excitement of new Pathfinder 2 classes to the mechanized nightmare of self-driving job loss. But the star of the show? A deep dive into the ridiculous, horrifying, and sometimes oddly comedic world of Warhammer 40k: Imperium Maledictum. The gang...
info_outlineIn this riotously entertaining episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew embarks on a wild ride from the expressive chaos of Nicolas Cage's acting to the mythic battlegrounds of Ysgard, the Viking heaven of Norse mythology. Along the way, the hosts take pit stops in Glorium's rowdy streets, wander the dwarven stronghold of Nidavellir, and contemplate the celestial politics of Seluna and Shar. Whether you came for cinematic hot takes, planar travel lore, or tactical GM advice, this episode has something for everyone who enjoys myth-heavy mayhem and tactical improvisation.
The crew dives into the layers of Ysgard’s lore—from eternal battles and sentient giants to magical gate towns and celestial intrigue—blending serious worldbuilding with their signature humor. They also tackle the practical side of RPG combat, offering advice on reskinning monsters, navigating Challenge Ratings, and surviving those “oh no” moments behind the DM screen.
So strap in for an episode that’s part mythic deep-dive, part Cage-fueled comedy roast, and 100% tabletop chaos.
Key Topics Covered:
Character Creation & Acting Tangents
- The artistry of Nicolas Cage: method actor or chaos incarnate?
- Mark Wahlberg’s variable performance range.
- Why bad movies sometimes make for great inspiration.
- RPG character creation as a narrative tool and personal expression.
Deep Dive: Ysgard, the Plane of Eternal Battle
- Ysgard is Viking heaven: eternal war, mighty mead, and storytelling mayhem.
- The confusing yet compelling structure of Norse myth and its impact on D&D lore.
- Differences between Ysgard and Akaron: glory vs. order.
- Portals, planar access points, and the metaphysical bus schedules to Ysgard.
- The Rumelais: unique native creatures with mysterious motivations.
- Giants in Ysgard: smart, social, and surprisingly civilized.
- Gate Town Glorium: culture-rich, fire-giant-threatened, and narrative gold.
- Nidavellir: a dwarven and gnomish city-state with its own unique governance.
- Celestials and cosmology: the Lilin, transformed by Seluna, and the tension with Shar.
Mythical Bits & Narrative Hooks
- Rattatosker the squirrel: more than a meme, he’s a lore-bearing rodent of mischief.
- How players can plug their own stories into the mythic framework of Ysgard.
- Tirza of Glorium: adding drama, danger, or comic relief to planar campaigns.
- The Gates of the Moon: not just a poetic name, but a powerful location.
GM Tools: Combat on the Fly
- Strategies for improvising combat encounters.
- Why reskinning monsters keeps players on their toes.
- Action economy: what it is and how it defines encounter flow.
- The truth about Challenge Ratings: more suggestion than science.
- Tools of the trade: stat blocks, encounter tables, and “The Monsters Know What They’re Doing.”
- Practice makes prepared: why experience is the best GM teacher.
Key Takeaways:
- Ysgard is ideal for chaotic good storytelling, player-driven plots, and epic themes.
- Norse myth is vague, fragmented, and rich with room for creative adaptation.
- Glorium offers fertile ground for exploration, politics, and conflict.
- DMs can elevate encounters by preparing loose frameworks and embracing improvisation.
- Even the most over-the-top topics (Nick Cage included) can lead to real storytelling gold.
If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It’s a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners.
If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings.
Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net