Characters Without Stories

Nate (Beardic Inspiration) brings Ed'varay Fiero to the table. Ed'varay is a noble ranger, restlessly wandering in search of transcendental experiences. Nate and I discuss creating random characters for real people, being shaped by your environment, and the controversy surrounding Wizards of the Coast's attempt to withdraw the Open Gaming License (OGL). This character is system agno...

In this very special episode, I interview my costars on DnDenial's The Moonstone Matriarchy actual play stream, an all-women D&D game set in the home brew world of Solandria. I Sneeze Stars is the DM GM of Reven is Anemone Juniper is Clover Mamaicailleach is Delphra Dungeon Mistress Katie is Rosalind Scxrlet is Syn These characters are built for D&D5e. View the previous mini-campaign ...

Jordan Peacock brings his tarot deck to the table. In this episode, Jordan and I collaborate to build three characters using tarot spreads. Dagamot, inspired by the Hermit card, is a reclusive healer with a painful past reevaluating his life on the road. Content warning: brief mention of suicide at 7:00. Jordan and I discuss going beyond tropes, building latent potential into characters, and Canad...

Owen Kerr brings Asher Novaak, aka Rhadamanthus Lehrer, to the table. Rhadamanthus is an inquisitor hiding in plain sight as his own throne agent, trying to find the small victories in a world full of insurmountable odds. Owen and I discuss pitting underdogs against empires, wrestling with angels, and finding joy in the struggle nevertheless. This character is built for Dark Heresy. Owen Kerr is a...

Natasha Ticotin brings Niko de Cielo to the table. Niko is an Oath of Conquest paladin who will soon find out he's not the main character he thinks he is. Natasha and I discuss "fixing" characters from pop culture, finding community in fandoms, and how characters' self-perceptions might not live up to their level 2 realities. This character is built for D&D5e. Natasha is an...

It’s Pride Month! While we can and should joyfully celebrate LGBTQIA+ people every day of the year, we come together in June to devote special attention - to pay respects for those who have fought for liberation, and to continue the struggle in the face of increasing hostility and repression. This episode I’m honoring my trans, non-binary, and queer guests by sharing their unique perspectives on h...

Jack brings Shasta and Alistair to the table. Shasta is a young Aasimar monk traveling the world and Alistair is the god within the mask she wears. Jack and I discuss the masks we and our characters wear, player agency and GM input into characters, and what might make you put on a mysterious mask. This character is built for Pathfinder 2e. Jack is a Jewish trans man just trying to play and learn a...

Quinn brings Aya Bailey to the table. Aya has been called by the gods to serve, but chooses instead to serve the people through activism and direct action. Quinn and I discuss using TTRPGs as a way to learn about other cultures and identities including your own, growing beyond others' expectations of you, and decolonizing TTRPG spaces. This character is built for Scion 2e. Quinn is a 41-year-...

Natalie Marley brings Dewey Aberforth to the table. Dewey is an accidental folk hero and a selfish jerk who happens to have a wonderful aquiline nose. Natalie and I discuss playing a selfish character without making your friends hate you IRL, how to play a man, and developing the confidence to take up space at the table and in the story. This character is built for D&D5e. Natalie is a behavior...

Simon brings Dex to the table. Dex is a gnome hacker slowly becoming a revolutionary. Simon and I discuss finding the bravery to be who you are, building characters that embody neurodiversity, and the intersection of masculinity and fantasy races. This character is built for Shadowrun. Simon is a queer, non-binary, autistic, and ADHD STEM educator that builds TTRPG characters to appease his brain...

Morgan Nuncio brings Lucia “Luz” Guadalupe Lozano to the table. Luz is a young Latina wizard learning to control her magic and setting some fires in the process. Morgan and I discuss finding the comfort in community to play your own race, who's left out when we default to the old white man wizard tropes, and how sometimes you have to make a lot of mistakes on your way to adulthood. This chara...

Ryan and Amelia bring Catalina and Esperanza to the table. Catalina and Esperanza are twins conniving to upstage one another. Ryan, Amelia, and I discuss how to create character drama and conflict at character creation, sex and romance in roleplaying games, and the tropes we return to again and again when creating characters. These characters are built for Pasións de las Pasiones by Brandon Leon-G...

PlotDoc brings Dreams of a Light Reborn to the table. Dreams is a storyteller who seeks to end a bloody war. PlotDoc and I discuss growing yourself before growing a character, telling stories that change the world, and kicking gods in the nuts. This character is built for Exalted 2nd Edition. PlotDoc is a 34 year old stay-at-home dad and TTRPG TikToker, writer, and enthusiast. They focus on narrat...

Glenn Buettner brings Montgomery Whitlow to the table. Monty is a Vaesen hunter on a fool's errand to join his wife and daughter in the selkie world. Glenn and I discuss sending your character on a fool's errand, creating characters from your own writing, and making the table a safe space for exploring trauma. This character is built for Vaesen. Glenn mentioned The Lost Mountain and Othe...

Caroline Vahrenkamp brings Jurdgel Sharptooth to the table. Jurdgel is a goblin customs official who would like nothing more than staying home with a cup of tea and a romance novel. Caroline and I discuss the challenge of voicing a male character as a trans woman, discovering something about yourself playing TTRPGs, and what neutrality means. This character is built for D&D5e. Caroline Vahrenk...

Once again, I’m mad at something I love – or rather, I’m mad at the company that owns it. Once again, it’s Dungeons and Dragons. About a week ago, a draft copy of the new D&D Open Game License was leaked. Much more restrictive than the Open Game License that currently stands, these changes would hurt the independent third-party creators that built the community that Hasbro is trying to further...

Joseph Speak brings Skips to the table. Skips is a sheltered monk who took a vow of silence thrust into a noisy world when dragon-induced tragedy strikes. He becomes a mime to find a way to honor his vow while exploring the world. Joseph and I discuss challenging yourself as a roleplayer, 'voicing' a nonverbal character, and the perfectly legitimate fear of dragons. This character is bui...

Sophie Katz brings Ekra to the table. Ekra is a dad on a mission, a Kenku finding his own way to communicate in a world that considers him less than human. Sophie and I discuss how we create and learn language, the trauma of having to speak in your oppressor's language, and other ways that bards can inspire. This character is built for D&D5e. Sophie Katz is a Jewish, aromantic/asexual wri...

Jim S brings Janie to the table. Janie became a chemically-inhanced super soldier to gain the strength to find her missing sister. Jim and I discuss what you have to give up to gain the power you need, what it means when your character's strengths become their weaknesses, and going out in a blaze of glory. This character is built for Savage Worlds Rifts. Content warning: brief mention of chil...

VJ Harris brings Varqoor to the table. Varqoor is a mind flayer losing their hold on their host and finding their own path away from the Elder Brain as a spore druid. VJ and I discuss how their supplement, An Elf and an Orc Had a Little Baby , takes on the problems with race in D&D, what it's like to play a monster, and what mind flayers sound like. This character is built for D&D 5e....

Abstract brings Torden Stormborn to the table. Torden is convinced he is the prophesied herald of the Everstorm, an apocalyptic maelstrom. Abstract and I discuss playing evil characters, the limitations of the alignment system in D&D, and what happens when a prophecy doesn't come true. This character is built for D&D 5e. Abstract is a forever DM and D&D TikToker working towards ow...

Damian brings Malcolm Cain to the table. Malcolm was the muscle of an art-smuggling business who finds his brother slain, leading him to become wrapped up in a shadowy conspiracy. Damian and I discuss how facing the monstrous within the mundane can change you, how a character's skills can tell you a lot about a person, and what goes in a backstory. This character is built for Call of Cthulhu...

Kurt Refling brings Altabella to the table. Altabella is a sea silk diver who is turned into a vampire, slowly losing her memory and becoming a predator in the process. Kurt and I discuss how a good prompt leads to creative storytelling, what it means to become a vampire, and why we tell sad stories in TTRPGs. This character is built for Thousand Year Old Vampire, a game by Tim Hutchings. https://...

This podcast is about characters. And when it comes to characters in Dungeons and Dragons, there have been problems with how the game defines race from the very beginning. You may have heard about the most recent example, and oh boy it’s a doozy. The latest Wizards of the Coast release, Spelljammer, contains a character race called the Hadozee. The way the race is characterized and depicted in the...

Characters without stories is a TTRPG podcast about the roads not yet traveled. If you play tabletop roleplaying games you probably have some back pocket characters, characters who are just waiting for the right story. Every episode, I’ll bring in a friend to tell me about their character and their approach to creating characters. Send us Fan Mail Cover art by The Curiographer Instagram: https://w...