Setting the Stage, Campaigns for D&D and Other RPGs
- Épisodes
- 97
- Parution
- toutes les deux semaines
- Dernier épisode
- 4 Nov 2026
À propos du podcast
Welcome to Setting the Stage, a podcast where I, Isaac Shaker, talk with guests about different campaign settings for roleplaying games.
We cover established settings, such as those made for D&D, like Faerun and Greyahwk. We also discuss settings that are adapted for RPGs, like Middle-Earth and Star Wars. I interview members of the RPG community who have created their own campaign worlds. This is a chance for the guest to show off what they’ve made, explain challenges they’ve overcome, and discuss paths that didn’t work for them when creating their campaign setting. Our homebrew worlds often get no attention outside of our own play groups, so this is a way to present a DM’s hard work to a wider audience.
This wouldn't be possible without the amazing RPG community and I'm looking forward to interviewing you!
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Épisodes 97
93 Extra - Crit Talkers Feed Drop
This episode is connect to Episode 93 - D&D Set in the 60s (Jake and Crit Talkers). The new short campaign, Darkspace Mixdown is the subject of this episode which combines the session 0 and first episode of …
Notes de l’épisode
This episode is connect to Episode 93 - D&D Set in the 60s (Jake and Crit Talkers). The new short campaign, Darkspace Mixdown is the subject of this episode which combines the session 0 and first episode of that campaign. Listen and if you enjoy it, go subscribe to their show!
You can learn more about Crit Talkers on their webiste or subscribe to them on the podcast platform of your choice.
They're also active on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out the Setting the Stage website!
Want to be on the show? Fill out this survey.
Support Setting the Stage on Patreon!
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93 - D&D Set in the 60s (Jake and Crit Talkers)
Jake runs an actual play podcast called Crit Talkers that features several different campaigns all set within the same universe. The main area of interest is the Kingdom of Legacy, the last surviving place in …
Notes de l’épisode
Jake runs an actual play podcast called Crit Talkers that features several different campaigns all set within the same universe. The main area of interest is the Kingdom of Legacy, the last surviving place in the world. Leaving the Kingdom of Legacy is impossible due to some magical influence and records of what existed before are gone. While it may seem like a typical D&D fantasy world at first, technology has advanced to about 1960s level. Adventurers are employed by corporations with contracts and sponsorship deals for their magic items. The PCs delve into dungeons to find lost artifacts and possibly discover the forgotten history of their world.
You can learn more about Crit Talkers on their webiste or subscribe to them on the podcast platform of your choice.
They're also active on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out the Setting the Stage website!
Want to be on the show? Fill out this survey.
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92 Extra - Shrimps and Crits Feed Drop
This episode is connected to episode 92 - Folk Singing RPG Party (Ian & Shrimps and Crits). The second main campaign of the Shrimp and Crits actual play podcast is Skywaymen. This is the first episode of that …
Notes de l’épisode
This episode is connected to episode 92 - Folk Singing RPG Party (Ian & Shrimps and Crits). The second main campaign of the Shrimp and Crits actual play podcast is Skywaymen. This is the first episode of that campaign. Listen and if you enjoy it, go subscribe to their show!
Shrimp and Crits has a website and is available on all your regular podcast platforms. Go take a look!
You can find the TTRPG content that Ian's done on MaudlinGames.com
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92 - Folk Singing RPG Party (Ian & Shrimps and Crits)
Ian from the Shrimps and Crits podcast comes to tell us about the campaigns he runs there! The podcast is in its second season using the Ironsworn system for the world of Dania. The campaign was inspired by …
Notes de l’épisode
Ian from the Shrimps and Crits podcast comes to tell us about the campaigns he runs there! The podcast is in its second season using the Ironsworn system for the world of Dania. The campaign was inspired by folk songs of the American South. A traveling band of enchanted scarecrows goes across Dania, playing the music of folk singer, Joe Crumb. Dania is inflicted by natural disasters of intermittent red Fury Fog that drives people into homicidal rage.
Shrimp and Crits has a website and is available on all your regular podcast platforms. Go take a look!
You can find the TTRPG content that Ian's done on MaudlinGames.com
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91 - Turning Your Novel Into An RPG? (Susannah and Thornvale)
Susannah tells us about her world, the Dragon Knight Universe! She's written books and published two podcasts set in the universe. It's an alternate history of Earth where magic and monsters are real, but …
Notes de l’épisode
Susannah tells us about her world, the Dragon Knight Universe! She's written books and published two podcasts set in the universe. It's an alternate history of Earth where magic and monsters are real, but hidden from most people behind a veil of secrecy. To fight the monsters, witches created the Dragon Knights, a group of people with magical powers similar to those of dragons. The Dragon Knights succeeded and the world is mostly safe now, but new threats are always lurking around the edges of reality.
The Thornvale and Felhaven podcasts are available on all your favorite podcasts. You can learn more about them on the Thornvale Podcast website.
And the book published for the Dragon Knight Universe, Deep Hollow, is available on Amazon.
The Actual Playce Discord Server is a great place to discuss actual plays as a fan and as a creator.
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90 - Zombies in Iceland (Hem and VARÚÐ! Dead Island)
Hem returns! Our previous guest from Episode 83 back with another BRP horror game. This time about zombies taking over Iceland. Three brave family members receive a special package that might put an end to the …
Notes de l’épisode
Hem returns! Our previous guest from Episode 83 back with another BRP horror game. This time about zombies taking over Iceland. Three brave family members receive a special package that might put an end to the Endtimes. They just have to get the package off the island and into the hands of some researchers. Hem plans on releasing a new episode every day through October as part of the spooky season.
The title of the show is "VARÚÐ! Dead Ísland" with Varúð pronounced like Vahr-ooth. You can learn more on the VARÚÐ RPG website.
This is Hem's first video show, so you can watch VARÚÐ! Dead Ísland on YouTube as well as listen to it on your podcast app.
All other associated info is available on the VARÚÐ RPG Linktree.
For other shows produced by Hem check out Blighthouse Studio's website.
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89 - Bunnies vs. the Borg D&D (Avery and Traumwald)
Avery presents her world of Traumwald which means Dream Forest. Traumwald was a peaceful, magical world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals of all kinds. Their peace was shattered by the attack of the Ichal, a …
Notes de l’épisode
Avery presents her world of Traumwald which means Dream Forest. Traumwald was a peaceful, magical world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals of all kinds. Their peace was shattered by the attack of the Ichal, a biomechanical hive mind species similar to the Borg. The Ichal are led by the dark god Ulvakros who seeks to absorb all life into himself. The Ichal have spread across different dimensions and now they have come to Traumwald as the next stop on their mission of multiversal conquest.
Traumwald has a D&D 5.0e supplement that Avery made. It's a setting and a campaign in one book. Species generation rules allow you to create any sort of animal species for your PC. There are lots of new subclasses to play and a new base class, the Ascetic. The campaign is adaptable with a dynamic faction system for tracking the events as they unfold at your table. Each campaign run in Traumwald is guaranteed to be different as the factions fluctuate and change to player actions. You can lift the faction system for your personal campaign as well!
You can find Traumwald on Avery's itch.io page.
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88 - DM & Roleplaying Tips with Balance of Aksio (Jay + Sandra! and 3RPG)
Our guests today are Jay and Sandra from the 3RPG podcast. Their podcast is a talk show, typically with three hosts. Unfortunately the third host Chris was unable to make it.Jay and Sandra are working on a RPG …
Notes de l’épisode
Our guests today are Jay and Sandra from the 3RPG podcast. Their podcast is a talk show, typically with three hosts. Unfortunately the third host Chris was unable to make it.
Jay and Sandra are working on a RPG product dubbed The Balance of Aksio. It's a new narrative fantasy TTRPG system with point buy character creation. The world within Balance of Aksio grew out of games that Jay and Sandra have been playing together since high school. Lots of history from important characters over the in-game centuries they have been playing. Balance of Aksio comes with numerous storytelling aids to help with character decision making, generational play, and how to cover long gaps between adventures.
Balance of Aksio also introduces a unique idea for running your NPCs. Rather than make all the decisions yourself, Jay and Sandra recommend outsourcing the NPC actions to people you know outside of the campaign. Give those people a profile of the NPC and the decision they are facing. Then let those people decide what the NPC would do without your own biases as a GM entering the equation. Quite a clever way to introduce new developments in your game that even you can't predict!
There's a 3RPG Podcast website and the show itself is available on all major podcast platforms.
I guested on the 3RPG podcast for episode 61. Check it out!
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87 - Adapted Azeroth D&D (Flare and Akridon)
Flare talks with us about his campaign world, Akridon. Three continents dominate the world, Tyros for humanoid races and Dusklands for bestial races. The third continent is known as the Scourge, having being …
Notes de l’épisode
Flare talks with us about his campaign world, Akridon. Three continents dominate the world, Tyros for humanoid races and Dusklands for bestial races. The third continent is known as the Scourge, having being destroyed in a cataclysmic war centuries ago. The world draws a lot of inspiration from the World of Warcraft setup with duality featuring in the continents, the racial appearance, and the gods of the world. And just like in WoW, the two sides often need to team up against larger threats that appear.
Flare has a Google Doc with more information about Akridon if you're interested!
Vote in the CRIT Awards! Voting is open until August 23rd.
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86 - Wuxia Adventures in RPGS (Daniel and Metanoia/Ithasen)
I interviewed Daniel, my cohost of the Tabletop Community Spotlight! Daniel created his own setting called Ithasen with an in-progress wuxia TTRPG system called Metanoia to go along with it. Ithasen has a …
Notes de l’épisode
I interviewed Daniel, my cohost of the Tabletop Community Spotlight! Daniel created his own setting called Ithasen with an in-progress wuxia TTRPG system called Metanoia to go along with it. Ithasen has a spiritual force known as Ren that pervades the world. Ren is a magical manifestation of the user's, or Rennim's, will upon the universe. Rennim that cultivate their will grow stronger and capable of more amazing feats as the concentrate their power and force of personality.
Within Ithasen there are seven lineages of people that decide what type of Ren they can use. Anamor use conversion Ren. Elkyr use flux Ren. Janim use elasticity Ren. Nyl use influence Ren. Okoi use recurrence Ren. Haqol use harmony Ren. Finally, Daruner use use coalescent ren. The two races lineages that drive unique politics in Ithasen are the Daruner and the Haqol.
Daruner children absorb the Ren talents of both their parents, becoming a perfect blend of Daruner and another lineage parent. Through this mixing, a Daruner family could potentially include all other lineages within itself. This power has placed Daruner as the nobility of Ithasen.
Haqol's power of harmony allows them to amplify the Ren powers of others. This puts Haqol in a vulnerable position as unscrupulous people will do anything to incorporate Haqol lineage into their bloodline. Haqol have experienced something akin to a genocide as their lineage has been consistently absorbed by other lineages and diluted over the centuries.
There's a whole lot more than that so strap in!
Daniel has a fully setup GitHub Wiki for information on Metanoia and Ithasen that you can explore.
There's a Metanoid Discord server you can join to discuss the rules and setting with other fans.
The occasional musing on TTRPGs can be found on Daniel's blog, Tabletop Discourse.
GoCorral YouTube Channel for watching the Tabletop Community Spotlight.
Vote in the CRIT Awards! Voting is open until August 23rd.
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85 - Medical Doctor D&D (Justin and Oops! All Healers!)
Justin tells us about their new actual play show, Oops! All Healers. Justin is the GM side of the two person YouTube channel, So You Wanna Be A DM? (SYWBADM), that they host with Taylor. SYWBADM is a variety …
Notes de l’épisode
Justin tells us about their new actual play show, Oops! All Healers. Justin is the GM side of the two person YouTube channel, So You Wanna Be A DM? (SYWBADM), that they host with Taylor. SYWBADM is a variety channel about different parts of TTRPGs. The main segment of their channel is a weekly talking head discussion on some RPG related topic. There are occasional guests or single segments with just Justin. There's also actual plays! Justin favors short actual plays of about 5 sessions in length. The latest one is called Oops! All Healers, a medical procedural drama using D&D 5e as the system. Can D&D be adapted for that system and can the players handle the different cases that come their way?
So You Wanna Be A DM? YouTube Channel
So You Wanna Be A DM? LinkTree
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84 - Horseback Riding D&D Camp (Michael and SaddleSnaps)
Michael tells us about a D&D horseback riding experience at SaddleSnaps! The Chicago-based stable hosted a weekend camping, horseback riding, and D&D event. About 50 players came from across the country for …
Notes de l’épisode
Michael tells us about a D&D horseback riding experience at SaddleSnaps! The Chicago-based stable hosted a weekend camping, horseback riding, and D&D event. About 50 players came from across the country for this new experience. During the event, the players were split up into three groups. Each of the groups engaged in the "Exploration" and "Social Interaction" pillars of RPGs as a LARP. They used horses to go out on rides around the area to find clues to a developing mystery. After returning to their base camp they'd set up around tables for the D&D "Combat" pillar. Michael was the main DM of the adventure along with lots of support DMs and NPC actors helping him out.
SaddleSnaps is planning to do more rides like this in the future, both single day rides as well as full weekend campouts like this first one. There are evening rides every Thursday for the rest of July 2026 with more to come in future months. You can check out everything about SaddleSnaps on their website.
Michael has his own website for his RPG resources called Paragon Provisions that you can check out as well.
Michael also runs his own Discord server that you connect with him on if you'd like to keep up with all the cool D&D stuff he's doing.
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83 - Call of Cthulhu's Garden (Hem and The Sprouting)
Hem tells us about their actual play campaign, The Sprouting. Within the world of The Sprouting, Earth's history diverged during the 1800s when an eldritch horror was summoned into our reality. The horror lay …
Notes de l’épisode
Hem tells us about their actual play campaign, The Sprouting. Within the world of The Sprouting, Earth's history diverged during the 1800s when an eldritch horror was summoned into our reality. The horror lay in wait for centuries, building up a secret army of plant monsters. In 2020, the plant monsters struck, ruining infrastructure and attacking population centers across the world. One hundred years have passed and our heroes learn that the next stage of the plant apocalypse has begun...
We also discussed some of the difficulties and pleasures of actual play podcasts and how the RPG community varies internationally (Hem is in Iceland).
If you want to try listening to The Sprouting its available on all major podcast platforms. You can learn more on The Sprouting's website.
For other shows produced by Hem check out Blighthouse Studio's website.
Hem mentioned The Lucky Die actual play show of theirs several times which used D&D 5e.
And the broader network of Fable and Folly has their website too.
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82 - Tarot Ghosts (George and Fears & Fortunes)
George tells us about his D&D actual play called Fears and Fortunes. The campaign follows the adventures of Sly, granddaughter of the Seer of Bearuport. Sly accidentally releases a bunch of ghosts from her late …
Notes de l’épisode
George tells us about his D&D actual play called Fears and Fortunes. The campaign follows the adventures of Sly, granddaughter of the Seer of Bearuport. Sly accidentally releases a bunch of ghosts from her late grandmother's tarot deck. She and her band of companions must find the fourteen ghosts that escaped and imprison them within the deck once more.
The campaign is sponsored by Forgotten Adventures, the battle map company. The show has an amazingly high production value with great maps, character art, music, and effects. Cool stuff to watch! And all the visual tools used in the show are available to you from Forgotten Adventures.
You can watch the actual play yourself on the Fears & Fortunes YouTube channel.
All the cool maps and assets of Fears and Fortunes are available on the Forgotten Adventures website.
Or on the Forgotten Adventures Patreon.
If you're interested in more of George's projects you can find them by Googling his screen name, GloriousGe0rge. That's with a zero in Ge0rge.
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81 - Biopunk 2287 RPG (Seiya and Synesthesia Synthetica)
Seiya tells us about his TTRPG system and setting, Synesthesia Synthetica (SNS). SNS is a biopunk game adjacent to the cyberpunk and steampunk genres. After an asteroid induced climate disaster, Earth has …
Notes de l’épisode
Seiya tells us about his TTRPG system and setting, Synesthesia Synthetica (SNS). SNS is a biopunk game adjacent to the cyberpunk and steampunk genres. After an asteroid induced climate disaster, Earth has rebuilt itself using bio-technology instead of the metal based tech that surrounds us in the real world. Genetically modified humans have split into distinct species and mutant horrors prowl the wastes outside civilization. The rich rule from their space stations up above but resistance is growing in the streets below.
During the episode we discussed a piece of art that Seiya had made for the game. A picture of that bio-tank is available for you to look at.
At the moment, Synesthesia Synthetica is available for free as an early access game on itch.io and DriveThruRPG.
If you want to learn more or find a group to play with, you can do that on the Synesthesia Synthetica Discord.
Remember to nominate your favorite TTRPG shows/creators/things for the 2026 CRIT Awards!
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80 - Dynamic RPG Countries (Travis and Tetara)
Travis tells us about his world of Tetara. Travis runs Tetara as a paid game on StartPlaying. Each group's campaign runs in a different region of Tetara. As the campaign progresses that group gets to shape …
Notes de l’épisode
Travis tells us about his world of Tetara. Travis runs Tetara as a paid game on StartPlaying. Each group's campaign runs in a different region of Tetara. As the campaign progresses that group gets to shape their region through their actions. After a region has been molded through play, Travis tends to run a second campaign in that region to explore the consequences of the first campaign.
Here's a map of Tetara.
If Tetara sounds interesting to you, Travis runs Tetara campaigns on StartPlaying.
If you want to check out Travis's book series, Sanctum of Aevum, its available on Amazon.
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79 - Dragon Age Degenerates (Zoe from Degenerates with Dice)
Zoe tells us about her campaign in the world of Thedas from the Dragon Age video games. The campaign is an actual play on the Degenerates with Dice YouTube channel. Zoe uses the Dragon Age TTRPG published by …
Notes de l’épisode
Zoe tells us about her campaign in the world of Thedas from the Dragon Age video games. The campaign is an actual play on the Degenerates with Dice YouTube channel. Zoe uses the Dragon Age TTRPG published by Green Ronin. In the campaign, a pair of noble twins are cut out of their family's inheritance. They must go on adventure to make things right and earn their birthright. Lots of fun and definitely more of a beer and pretzels vibe to the table.
You can watch the show live every Monday night on Degenerates with Dice's YouTube channel.
Or on Degenerates with Dice's Twitch.
The first episode of Dragon Age: Resurrection.
Take a look at Green Ronin's Dragon Age TTRPG.
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78 - D&D in Suburbia (Ryan and Serenity Springs)
Ryan tells us about his new adventure, Serenity Springs! It's a cozy little suburb. Or at least it seems like it at first. Until you realize its in a dimension like Ravenloft and evil entities lurk around every …
Notes de l’épisode
Ryan tells us about his new adventure, Serenity Springs! It's a cozy little suburb. Or at least it seems like it at first. Until you realize its in a dimension like Ravenloft and evil entities lurk around every corner to threaten the citizens and visitors with awful, gruesome death. Just don't bleed on Mrs. Dotty's petunias!
If you liked what your heard you can follow the Kickstarter for Serenity Springs.
If you'd like to know more about Ryan's other projects you can check out the Grinning Portal Games website.
And you can follow Grinning Portal Games on Bluesky.
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77 - KPop DnD Hunters (Dan and Idols of the Neon Dark)
Dan talked with me about his Kickstarter campaign, Idols of the Neon Dark. It's a D&D 5e supplement that tries to bring the fun and atmosphere of K-pop to Dungeons and Dragons. The media frenzy around KPop …
Notes de l’épisode
Dan talked with me about his Kickstarter campaign, Idols of the Neon Dark. It's a D&D 5e supplement that tries to bring the fun and atmosphere of K-pop to Dungeons and Dragons. The media frenzy around KPop Demon Hunters inspired Dan to create a product based on the musical genre that his young daughters could enjoy with him.
Idols of the Neon Dark contains an Idol character class to represent the teamwork and coordination of K-pop groups. Alongside the Idol class there's a setting called Lumenica City. The city is an undeground haven of neon lights, skyscrapers, and music. There's campaign for levels 1-6 and a bunch of side adventures as well to place within Lumenica City or your setting of choice.
You can support Idols of the Neon Dark on Kickstarter.
Idols of the Neon Dark Discord server
Idols of the Neon Dark Playtest Materials
PAX East Playtest Schedule BOOK NOW! These are in March!
Dan also runs a marketing business called Wrenegade Crowdfunding for Kickstarters that you should check out if you're thinking of launching your own crowdfunding campaign. Look at how well it worked for Idols of the Neon Dark!
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76 - Flying Island Worlds (Alan and Fractus)
Alan tells us about his Daggerheart campaign setting, Fractus, that launched on Kickstarter recently. Fractus was a normal planet until it exploded and stopped halfway through. Now bunches of asteroids rotate a …
Notes de l’épisode
Alan tells us about his Daggerheart campaign setting, Fractus, that launched on Kickstarter recently. Fractus was a normal planet until it exploded and stopped halfway through. Now bunches of asteroids rotate a swirling magical maelstorm at the center of the planet. The people of Fractus survive on the asteroids which are large enough to support life. The land is now separated by air rather than oceans, resulting in a different path for technology along the lines of flight rather than sea travel.
Fractus is available on Kickstarter.
Alan Tucker's DriveThru RPG page also has a big catalog of TTRPG products he's produced in the past that you can check out.
In addition to his TTRPG writing, Alan has written a few novels that you can find links to on his personal Alan Tucker website.
For the latest updates on what he's doing you can follow Alan on Bluesky.
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75 - Masks, Capitalism, and Coming of Age (Joel and Critical Bits)
Joel tells us about his actual play podcast, Critical Bits! The campaign was a teen super hero story using the Powered by the Apocalypse system Masks. The Masks system is great for teen drama and coming of age …
Notes de l’épisode
Joel tells us about his actual play podcast, Critical Bits! The campaign was a teen super hero story using the Powered by the Apocalypse system Masks. The Masks system is great for teen drama and coming of age stories for superheroes that still live with their parents, have school, and don't know who they want to be yet. Joel and the players did a great job of capturing those feelings in a world where superpowered individuals are under threat. The government attempts to register all teen superpowered people and there are tons of organizations looking to kidnap superpowered teens to enslave them. Does good win in the end? Well... probably. That's how these stories work, right? Right?
You can find Critical Bits on your podcast app or learn more at Do You Validate's website.
Joel's current show is called Oddity Roadshow that you can check on on his website as well.
For the latest news about his projects you can follow Joel on Bluesky.
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74 - Kylie and Fallout: Garden of Atom
The Fallout TV show has ended, but you can still get more Fallout in your life with TTRPGs!Kylie talked with me about her actual play campaign, Fallout: The Garden of Atom. The show follows Pete and Reed as …
Notes de l’épisode
The Fallout TV show has ended, but you can still get more Fallout in your life with TTRPGs!
Kylie talked with me about her actual play campaign, Fallout: The Garden of Atom. The show follows Pete and Reed as they leave their Vault in Florida. They travel towards Orlando in search of Pete's father who left Vault 71 a few years previously. Along the way they meet the wasteland survivor, Ruthie, and the Mrs. Nurse robot, Hawke. The campaign is played using Modiphius's Fallout 2d20 system, the perfect TTRPG for the Fallout universe.
You can listen to the Fallout: The Garden of Atom show on Kylie's YouTube channel.
If you like more shows like that you can find more about them on the Dicescape website.
And Kylie has her Linktree for everything Kylie.
Also if you want to try out the official Fallout 2d20 system made by Modiphius, check it out on their website.
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73 - Duncan and Extraordinary Locations
Duncan Rhodes comes on the show to talk about his new book, The Creative Game Master's Guide to Extraordinary Locations: & How to Design Them or just Extraordinary Locations. The book is filled with 30 …
Notes de l’épisode
Duncan Rhodes comes on the show to talk about his new book, The Creative Game Master's Guide to Extraordinary Locations: & How to Design Them or just Extraordinary Locations. The book is filled with 30 adventure locations to drop into your campaign, modify, or use as a full adventure path! The locations are loosely stated out for D&D 5e but could easily be adapted for any fantasy system. Additionally, the book has a step-wise guide for crafting your own adventures based around locations just like those in the book.
To follow Duncan's blog postings you can check out Hipsters & Dragons.
And his book, The Creative Game Master's Guide to Extraordinary Locations: & How to Design Them, is available on Amazon and most likely at your local book or game stores.
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72.5 - Calico and Psychomortis (Part 2)
This is the second of a two part interview with Calico. If you haven't listened to the first episode with him, you should go do that before listening to this one. The first episode was #72 and this is …
Notes de l’épisode
This is the second of a two part interview with Calico. If you haven't listened to the first episode with him, you should go do that before listening to this one. The first episode was #72 and this is #72.5.
Calico returns with additional info on the world of Psychomortis. We get to hear more information about the Ecclesia church that rules over the world above Pandora's Labyrinth. More about the physical locations of the world. And EVEN MORE on the philosophy behind Psychomortis that makes it such a cool game.
Psychomortis is still in the early stages of development, but its playable! If you're interested in the game you can learn more on the Psychomortis Discord Server.
You can also follow Calico on BlogSpot.
And Calico on BlueSky.
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72 - Calico and Psychomortis (Part 1)
CalicoVisions tells us about his game system and setting Psychomortis. The game is constructed to challenge players and characters to look inside themselves to find what's really important to them. In the far …
Notes de l’épisode
CalicoVisions tells us about his game system and setting Psychomortis. The game is constructed to challenge players and characters to look inside themselves to find what's really important to them. In the far future the Earth has suffered from the arrival of the Iris which caused vast changes across the world. PCs are trapped beneath the Earth in a vast maze known as Pandora's Labyrinth. They seek an exit and/or spiritual absolution as they survive and explore in the dark depths. The experience is simultaneous a dungeon crawl and philosophical exercise.
This is the first of two episodes about Psychomortis. Calico contacted me about how the game and setting had evolved since our first recording. This is the first recording which has the original version of Calico's world and game. The second one is more refined and filled in which you can see in part 2!
Psychomortis is still in the early stages of development, but its playable! If you're interested in the game you can learn more on the Psychomortis Discord Server.
You can also follow Calico on BlogSpot.
And Calico on BlueSky.
Check out the Setting the Stage website!
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Support Setting the Stage on Patreon!
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71 - Aaron Ryan and Dissonance/The End
I talked with Aaron Ryan about two of his book series, Dissonance and The End.Dissonance is a near future world where aliens have attacked, killing most humans and animals on Earth and driving humans into …
Notes de l’épisode
I talked with Aaron Ryan about two of his book series, Dissonance and The End.
Dissonance is a near future world where aliens have attacked, killing most humans and animals on Earth and driving humans into hiding underground. Humans finally develop technology to fight back and the war enters a new stage while the characters also struggle to determine the motivation for the alien invasion and nefarious actions of the government.
The End is a Christian End Time series based loosely on the events described in Revelations. A man calling himself Nero has risen to rule over the world and he has outlawed Christianity. Robots called Guardians hunt Christians throughout the world, murdering them on the spot if they don't recant their faith. A resistance movement works in the shadows against Nero, but things aren't looking good for them.
We talked about the basics of those settings along with how they could be adapted for RPG campaign settings. My main recommendations were Ashes Without Number, Spire, and Blades in the Dark.
If you're interested in reading Aaron's books you can find them at most any bookstore or library. Both of the series are also being adapted into movies, but aren't publicly available yet. Look at Aaron Ryan's website for the latest updates on his work. Next up for Aaron is the Talisman series that covers events within the "Aaronverse" in the decades between Dissonance and The End.
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70 - Sensei Suplex and Project Aurora
Sensei Suplex joins us to talk about his campaign, Project Aurora. Suplex started Project Aurora in college with some friends. They agreed to have a few different campaigns done by different DMs to all exist …
Notes de l’épisode
Sensei Suplex joins us to talk about his campaign, Project Aurora. Suplex started Project Aurora in college with some friends. They agreed to have a few different campaigns done by different DMs to all exist within the same shared world. Suplex transitioned to paid DMing and the world expanded beyond that into a huge RPG experience with dozens of DMs and thousands of people playing, all in a shared universe.
With such a large pool of players and DMs there's a decent effort to match groups in style, tone, and schedule so that everyone is happy with what they're doing. There are full campaigns and pickup West Marches style adventures as well. Sensei Suplex believes in matching what players want with his DMing style. Thus the world/universe for Project Aurora is varied with different cultures, technology levels, and themes for whatever a particular group is interested in playing.
Sensei Suplex also has a YouTube channel with some great videos on how to be a better DM. The most popular of those videos being one on how to create something the TTRPG equivalent to the Nemesis System from the Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War video game.
Sensei Suplex also recommended a Ginny Di video on paid DMing that you can talk a look at.
If you'd like to learn more about Sensei Suplex, his YouTube videos, or Project Aurora, it's all available at the Sensei Suplex Beacon page.
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69 - Siix and Godstorm
There were some audio issues in this episode that we did our best to correct. Hopefully you can understand everything or close to everything! If you can't, you can always drop into the Discord to ask additional …
Notes de l’épisode
There were some audio issues in this episode that we did our best to correct. Hopefully you can understand everything or close to everything! If you can't, you can always drop into the Discord to ask additional questions.
The story of Godstorm starts 70 years ago when a fisher from the city of Gulia went deep into the ocean. He came back many days later covered in various marks. The marks gave him magical blinking powers. The king of Gulia unjustly executed the fisher to remove a threat. The burning fisher's marks then spread throughout the populace, making it so now about 20% of Gulia's citizens bear the marks and their power. At the same time electric eels were being developed as an energy source. The eels are taunted to put their shocks into batteries which power a bunch of technology throughout the city.
The design goals for the system of Godstorm focused on every PC being able to blink in short teleportation jumps. There are a bunch of different classes that give little bonuses along with selected feats to the blinks. You could leave a hazard behind you, create a protective ward where you blink to, or heal everyone along the path of your blink.
You can try the Godstorm system out for yourself.
And you can be involved in the playtesting of Godstorm by joining the Godstorm Discord.
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68 - John and Tahlvaen
John tells us about his campaign setting, Tahlvaen. The world was something he dreamt up in childhood that he's now turning into a campaign setting for D&D. Tahlvaen is threatened by eldritch entities known as …
Notes de l’épisode
John tells us about his campaign setting, Tahlvaen. The world was something he dreamt up in childhood that he's now turning into a campaign setting for D&D. Tahlvaen is threatened by eldritch entities known as the Outer Five. These nasty beings were cast out beyond the Veil that separates them from the Tahlvaen. The eight Veilborn gods protect the world from the Outer Five, but all planar travel is cut off as a consequence. New magic classes exist in Tahlvaen to reflect this, focusing on music, resonance, and psionics as sources of power.
John has been writing a full set of books for publication on Tahlvaen. He plans to launch a Kickstarter in April 2026 to bring the book to life. The book is named the Veilborn Universe Campaign Setting.
And you can find all of John's socials on Linktree.
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67 - John and Blittle League Blaseball
John tells us about his actual play show, Blittle League Blaseball! The show is based on the now passed internet phenomenon, Blaseball. In Blaseball, baseball teams play against each other while using magical …
Notes de l’épisode
John tells us about his actual play show, Blittle League Blaseball! The show is based on the now passed internet phenomenon, Blaseball. In Blaseball, baseball teams play against each other while using magical and technological powers. Their furious battles satisfy the Elder Ones and prolong the time before the Antediluvians rise and consume the world as we know it. So if there are professional Blaseball players... There must be a Blaseball Little League, right? That's where Blittle League Blaseball comes in!
The campaign focuses on a team known as the Summerville Sunflowers. The four PCs are the main members of the team who go on monster slaying missions as part of their Blaseball training. John uses the PbtA Monster of the Week system with players upgrading each time they go up a grade at school.
The best place for more about Blittle League Blaseball is their website.
YouTube is the best place to listen/watch Blittle League Blaseball.
And the team's other project is called Dungeons and TBD.
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