Our guest this week is Stephen Radney-MacFarland as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of Dungeons and Dragons interviews. We talk about Delve RPG, his passion-project meditation on d20 fantasy games. How he doesn’t agree with 5E’s advantage/disadvantage rules. Growing up in San Francisco, playing D&D as a kid, and using the Battleshi…

The Vat Spawn take out the final elite goblins. We meet Lotto, a 10-foot demon dog. Bat Alchemist sucks venom out of Warlock Roc. They explore further into the goblin museum, finding horrific paintings of former goblin kings, before discovering the current Goblin King’s chambers. ANNOUNCEMENTS Gamehole Con: October 17th through 20th in Madison, Wis…

Our guest this week is David “Zeb” Cook as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of Dungeons and Dragons interviews. We talk about his involvement in 49 of the 50 years of D&D’s existence and how satisfying it’s been for him to see his work impacting generations of people. We discuss his late 1970s start at TSR by editing Queen of the De…

309 Balls: Crystal, Disco & Fire - Rise of the Vat Spawn The Vat Spawn finish their fight with elite business goblins that includes disco floors, Weekend-at-Bernie’s-ing a dead goblin to find true love in secret nap spots, and lots of Nitar’s Fireballs were a’flyin’. A crystal ball houses a goblin spirit to find down-on-their-luck victims as part o…

Our guest this week is John “Hambone” McGuire as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of D&D interviews. We talk about his 321 Action core book and the adventures he’s written to go along with it, including upcoming Hotel Exorcist, Braineaters! that he’s working on with Brian Shutter (Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands), and his love of…

The Vat Spawn follow beefy elite goblins into a room of swords with a goblin museum curators arguing about presentation. The head curator laughs as Dragon Warrior touches a cursed codeine razor and is weakened with magical addiction. A big ole fight breaks out with Tiger Wizard trip attacks and a fun knife-in-the-head polymorph into goblin hipsterd…

Our guest this week is Banana Chan as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of Dungeons and Dragons interviews. We discuss her upcoming The Darkness At The Brink Of Ohio, a solo journaling game with a soundtrack with a full cast. You’re one of three late shift workers listening to the radio, while being consumed by a parasite. She discus…

307 Goblin Guards & Credit Cards - Rise of the Vat Spawn The Vat Spawn peruse the lobby of the goblin museum when the alarm button gets pushed after Tiger Wizard is caught trying to steal trillmatic rings. A negotiation starts up on either side of a force field with a goblin on stilts named Snax. An elite goblin named Meat Fists swallows a cat whol…

Our guest this week is Elisa Teague as we continue our Gary Con 2024 series of 50 years of Dungeons and Dragons interviews. We discuss her history with the game, including a 13-year D&D campaign! We discuss her work with Founders and Legends, The Crooked Moon: Folk Horror in 5E by Legends of Avantris, Surviving Strange Hollow, Gloomhaven RPG, Marve…

The Vat Spawn leave the colosseum of mutilation and head to Goblintown. There they infiltrate a secret epicenter of commerce in Def Jamisus called The Goblin Museum. Behind security doors, trades and saves are happening. Tiger Wizard, Bat Alchemist, and Warlock Roc make cash money deposits with an anxious goblin while Dragon Warrior admires a sculp…

This week our guest is Luke Stratton, creator of Pirate Borg and we talk about his history with D&D and roleplaying, getting into the OSR and MÖRK BORG, a birthday surprise involving the film The Game, and how he assembled his pirate crew to make the game a success. Follow Luke, Limithron & Pirate Borg: Website - IG - Facebook - X - YouTube - LinkT…

MD 305 Mutilations & Standing Ovations This week the Vat Spawn, dressed as Def Jamisus Garys (that’s the police), have infiltrated the colosseum just in time to view the public mutilation of ten people, who were then dropped to the Necropolis below. The cops, who’s clothes they stole, found the Vat Spawn and a brawl commenced in the side hall of th…

This is an abbreviated version of our episode last summer with Joey Royale. Be sure to check out the map on our website.Epic Levels による

This week our guest is Sarah Moore, host of Sarah's Table on GenConTV where she spotlights RPGs created by indie designers and small publishers. She's the co-designer of The Crowned, an RPG by Formerly Feral Games, where you play a god of a small slice of reality. Sarah is also the production coordinator for Actoroke and wears many hats for Peter A…

This week Stefan Pokorny of Dwarven Forge is our guest from our Gary Con 2024 series focusing on the question, “What has 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons meant to you?” We discuss his childhood in NYC and growing up with D&D, his journey from artists to sculptor of the most popular modular terrain for tabletop roleplaying, The Dwarvenaut (the 2016 do…

This week the Vat Spawn are at the Rock Ride station platform with The Coroner. They’re stopped while trying to pass through a DJPD checkpoint. The fuzz find a joint on Warlock Roc and they’re detained. They unsuccessfully attempt to bribe the officers, and the cops call in backup. Tiger Wizard uses the Mad Dungeon word “sneakily” to create a carto…

Our guest this week is Brigitte Winter of Scryptid Games. Brigitte (she/her) is a writer, photographer, and game designer based in Maryland. She consumes and creates stories and games that are queer, feminist, intimate, and deliciously weird. We talked about Scryptid Games, Psychic Trash Detectives, Ball of the Wild and their Kickstarter for Agains…

This week our heroes meet The Coroner in the basement of his mortuary. We learn that the dead bodies of Def Jamisus city are sent down chutes to the Necropolis below. The Marshal of Mummies explains that astral markers are needed to re-up their magical powers before leaving them with The Coroner to take them to view today’s public executions, and w…

This week we talk with Anthony Meloro and Jay Domingo about their kickstarter for the Mystic Punks TTRPG, OUT TODAY exclusively through Exalted Funeral. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/mystic-punks-table-top-roleplaying-game We talk about all the fun things that come with the Mystic Punks Tabletop Roleplaying Game Kickstarter: A…

This week, the Vat Spawn chat about crime and punishment before smoking a joint to heal their wounds. Dr. Dre-colich shows the vat spawn to their very specific apartments and they get geared up for their intense four-part mission. First, infiltrate a goblin enclave to find CleRick Rubin's missing daughter. Second, cozy up to CleRick Rubin and the M…

Our guest this week is Luke Gygax and we talk Founders & Legends (Mar. 15-20), Gary Con (March 21st-24th) and Gaxx Worx: Okkorim, G20 shoes and G20 magazine, Gooey Cube. The Tomb of Gyzaengaxx: Mega-Adventure & Campaign, 50 Years of Adventures - Essays collection. Follow Luke at: website – IG – FB – Twitter Follow Gary Con at: website – IG – FB – T…

Welcome to episode one of Rise of the Vat Spawn! In this episode, our protagonists are birthed from colorful vats before fighting some undead skeletal animals. Dragon Warrior gets stabbed in the guts. Warlock Roc gets sprayed by goo. Bat Alchemist manipulates that same liquid goo to freeze the baddies in places. Tiger Wizard tames a skeletal tiger.…

This week we chat with Justin Sirois of Severed Books & Toys to discuss the first Game Face Con in Baltimore on March 9th & 10th at Peabody Brewery. Sign up to be notified of his BackerKit to make Mork Borg Action figures that launches April 2nd. This is a collab with Johan Nohr & Pelle Nilsson. The 7-inch fully articulated figure of the skeleton f…

Welcome to session zero of our season 3 actual play Rise of the Vat Spawn where fantasy and hip hop culture are smashed together to create an epic urban adventure. Here we'll discuss what to expect for the season, including format, tone, safety tools, and we'll utilize Mad Dungeon words as we have in our previous seasons. We'll create and introduce…

Welcome to our first episode of Season Three! This week we talk with Anthony Meloro and Jay Domingo about their upcoming kickstarter for the Mystic Punks TTRPG, out exclusively through Exalted Funeral. Pre-save the Mystic Punks Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/mystic-punks-table-top-roleplaying-game?ref=clipboar…

Welcome to the (very) soft launch of the COOL SHOW, MAN. PODCAST with Giles Chickering. We start moving forward by looking back on the The Year in Review: 2023. The original Unnamed Crew gathered to celebrate the top moments and memories of the year with the help of our sponsors at Ranker.com. 2023 included: Nardo Wick and the year's best new rappe…

For part two of our grand season 2 mega dungeon finale, this week we talk with: Marc Miller, legendary creator behind Game Designers' Workshop (GDW), Traveller and owner of Far Future Enterprises. Shanna Germain, award-winning author, editor, game designer and co-founder of Monte Cook Games. We talk The Magnus Archives and her next novel. Follow Sh…

For part one of our grand season 2 mega dungeon finale, this week we talk with: Monte Cook of Monte Cook Games talks about D&D 3E, Numenera, Cypher System, Old Gods of Appalachia RPG and his upcoming The Magnus Archives. Follow Monte Cook: Website - Twitter - Facebook Mike Mason of Chaosium talks Call of Cthulhu, Alone Against the Static, Arkham Un…

This week’s guest is Chris Prynoski, owner of Titmouse, and we talk about The Legend of Vox Machina, the upcoming Mighty Nein, the power he gained as steward of The Sandal of Gygax, and his game group the Murder Hobos. Follow Titmouse: Website - Instagram - Twitter - YouTube - Facebook - Titmouse merch MD 239 Hangin’ Sacks 5th Ave w/ Chris Prynoski…

This week we talk about all the fun we had at PAX Unplugged 2023. Thursday: Andrew set up the Exalted Funeral booth while Steve said hi to Tony Vacinda (Plus One Exp), Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr (MÖRK BORG), Brian Colin (Vast Grimm), Jarrett Crader (Space Penguin Ink) and Brian Shutter (Neon Lords of the Toxic Wastelands). Then they both went to …

This week’s guest is Amy Vorpahl and we talk about Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, Candlekeep Mysteries, Dimension 20 , Breaking News: No Laugh Newsroom, her latest album Behold Her Dreams, Geek & Sundry to Critical Role and her D&D Beyond show “Jingleshearth.” Follow Amy: Website/Newsletter - Instagram - Twitter - YouTube - TikTok - Bandcam — Ad-lib…

This week’s guest is Justin Nauman, president of Tabletop Gaymers. We talk about the GAYMER and ALLY Badge Ribbons that they pass out at conventions, Gayme Night for LGBTQ+ Community Centers and The Gaming Safe Space Initiative - in association with GAMA. Follow Tabletop Gaymers: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitch - Discord MD 237 Sashays & Sh…

This week’s guest is game designer, writer, sensitivity reader, and editor Jacqueline Bryk. We talk about her background in diplomacy and how that fits into how she designs games, TTRPG safety tools as a language of communicating with each other, and her surrealist fiction zine The Pinesorrow Collection, Vol. 1, a love letter to atmospheric storyte…

This week’s guest is Alex Roberts who won the Diana Jones Award for her game Star Crossed. We discuss Star Crossed, safety tools when playing TTRPGs, and her card-based storytelling game For the Queen. We also talk about the supplement Star Crossed: Love Letters which is crowdfunding now! BACK STAR CROSSED: LOVE LETTERS ON BACKERKIT Follow Alex: We…

This week’s guest is Max Moon of Max Moon Games. We talk about his latest project Abyss of Hallucinations (Kickstarting via Exalted Funeral now), Book of Lies, The Demon Lord Expansion for Twelve Years RPG, Fairyland, and Cthulugans. Support the Abyss of Hallucinations Kickstarter here! Fully funded and all stretch goals are unlocked! Follow Max: W…

This week we talk about all the fun we had at Cabin in the Woods Con & Gamehole Con 2023. At Cabin in the Woods Con 2023 we played: Pukeapocalypse - run by Andrew Bellury D&D 5E - “That Which Lurks Beneath” - run by Ryan Steffen D666 (Tiny Dungeon meets Maze Rats) “Wizard Robbers” where we rob the wizard manses from DCC’s Dying Earth Box Set - Jere…

This week’s guest is Alex Kammer, director of Gamehole Con. We talk about what to expect at this year’s Gamehole Con, October 19th - 22nd, 2023 in Madison, WI. We also discuss his upcoming D&D campaign book, The End of Everything that he wrote with Alan Patrick (out via Frog God Games). Sign up for The End of Everything Kickstarter pre-launch HERE.…

This week’s guest is James D’Amato of the One Shot Podcast Network and we talk about Campaign: Skyjacks and where the the crew of the Uhuru is headed next, his home game Campaign Starwhal: Odyssey and how this is helping him build the game mechanics that will be the Skyjacks roleplaying game system, and his The Ultimate RPG series including his upc…

This week’s guest is Tyler Crumrine of Possible World Games and we talk about his map-labeling game Beak, Feather, & Bone and its Ennie-winning (Best Cartography) expansion Claw Atlas. We talked about his one-shot games like Dating.Sim, what he’s learned from teaching game design at Carnegie Mellon University, and his upcoming RPG card project BAD …

This week’s guest is Andrew Clayton and we talk about his Foundry Virtual Tabletop and how it started with his own curiosity and playing online with his friends. We discuss Foundry’s place in the TTRPG community, its low barrier to entry for basic functions and how it’s great for technical folks who love to tinker. Andrew also answers several quest…

This week’s guest is Luke Crane and we get into the philosophy behind TTRPG creation. We talk about making games as a teen, creating his games Burning Wheel, Mouse Guard and Torchbearer. We talk about his LARP Inheritance, and Luke and Steve playing it together at Gen Con 2023. Follow Luke Crane: Website -- Flaming blood drips from the ceiling onto…

This week’s guest is Matthew Grau of WildFire Games and we talked about his upcoming CthulhuTech: The Shadow War Quick-Start Rules (V2), working with the scumdogs of the universe to create his deck-building game Gwar vs. Time, his stint at Riot Games building the world of League of Legends, and growing up in the Twin Cities with D&D’s Dave Arneson …

This week we recap our time at Dragon Con 2023, including their group costume as characters from the Disney Wasteland, wrestling, RPG panels, and of course tons of gaming! Steve ran our Mad Dungeon rooms using both Mystic Punks RPG and OSE - Old School Essentials, and playtested his Cursed Cabin RPG. Andrew playtested his upcoming game Postcards fr…

This week’s guest is Chris O’Neill of 9th Level Games . We talk Mazes Fantasy Roleplaying, Kobolds Ate My Baby and his latest Return to Dark Tower RPG. Follow 9th Level Games: Website - FB - IG - XTwitter - YouTube - TikTok - You step into the interior of a slot machine. The floor is an unstable pile of 10-foot diameter wooden nickels. In front of …

This week’s guest is Gavin Norman of Necrotic Gnome. We talk about OSE - Old School Essentials, and his incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign for Dolmenwood RPG with Exalted Funeral. The Kickstarter is live now though Sep. 8, 2023. Follow Necrotic Gnome: Website - FB - IG - XTwitter -- In the center of the room is the Cauldron of Sadness. It h…

This week’s guest is Dragon Warrior and Tiger Wizard’s forever dungeon master Joshua Therrien. We talk about game mastering, preparing to run campaigns and deep diving into world building his campaign settings for The Scouring Campaign, The Wasteland Campaign and The Malagorn Campaign. -- Catwalks look down into the Idea Pool where aquatic creature…

This week we recap Dragon Warrior and Tiger Wizard's time at Gen Con 2023. Steve ran season 2 Mad Dungeon rooms using OSE - Old School Essentials. He attended The Ennies ceremony, attended several panels and played Hackmaster, Rocket Age and was invited by Luke Crane to play in his LARP, Inheritance. Andrew manned the booth selling Epic Levels ware…

This week’s guest is New Zealand writer, artist, musician and game designer Darcy Perry. We talk about his Ennie nominated RPG DuckQuest, Star Hat Miniatures, Petty Gods, and Quack Keep. Follow Darcy: Website - FB - IG - Twitter -- Citrol the Orang-a-Tang: He was born a glowing star troll, but was cursed to be the tree of memory and thought in the …

This week’s guest is Gavriel Quiroga and we talk about his Worlds of Quiroga projects: Hell Night, Neurocity, and Warpland. Check out the Hell Night playlist. Follow Gavriel: at Website - FB - FB Group - IG - Twitter - Spotify — In the corner is a titanic skull-shaped wasp hive that has a steady stream of gooey acid pouring from its mouth. Consumin…

This week’s guest is psychedelic indie-rock musician Levi Nunez of Loot the Body. We talk about Skate Wizards RPG, his #Dungeon23 project where he’s writing one song a month based on other creator’s #Dungeon23 projects, including “Ricksanthemum Garden” based on Mad Dungeon episode 206 w/ Brendan LaSalle, and his latest EP +5EP. Follow Levi: at Band…