Finding Atoria

Send us Fan Mail Frogs, Fun, and First-Time GM Chaos   Welcome back to the table! In this episode, Malcolm, Tori, and Arcadia finally play-tested Daggerheart and share their impressions and takeaways. Some serious GMing skills were on display, Arcadia got pulled into roleplaying moments , and Tori reminded us all to be a little wary of frogs . While everyone had a blast exploring a new system, the...

Send us Fan Mail The Forever DM and the Rules Guy  Welcome back to the table! In this episode, we dive into two of the biggest names in the TTRPG world : Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins. Crawford, the rules guru, and Perkins, the forever DM, have been cornerstones of Dungeons & Dragons for decades. Both spent at least 18 years at Wizards of the Coast , shaping the game we all love and earnin...

Send us Fan Mail Funky Fresh Mechanics and a Whole Lot of Hope & Fear   Welcome back to the table! We continue our dive into Daggerheart , the new TTRPG from Darrington Press. Tori takes a deep look at the rules and mechanics, showing that this is not a D&D clone —it’s its own system with unique twists drawn from other games. Malcolm points out similarities to Vampire: The Masquerade and S...

Send us Fan Mail A New Game on the Block Arcadia and Malcolm are flying solo this week, as Tori was scheduled to play but couldn’t join to record. They dive into Daggerheart , the new TTRPG from Darrington Press (Critical Role). This game has already made waves in the community, marking a clear step away from D&D while standing on its own. Daggerheart has the advantage of launching independent...

Send us Fan Mail Beauty Is in the Eyes of the Beholder Pick an edition, any edition—we’ve got you covered! Welcome to our first monster comparison episode . Tori dives deep into one of her favorite classic D&D monsters: the Beholder . From the original 1st Edition to the most recent rulesets, we explore how this iconic floating horror has evolved over the decades. We break down its abilities,...

Send us Fan Mail Click, Clack, Brain Go Brrrr: Diving Into Tabletop Mechanics   There are receipts, and Arcadia gets to GM this episode! Malcolm kicks things off by talking about the future of TTRPGs and how many players are exploring customized and solo gaming . While solo games or mechanics-heavy systems can feel more like a Choose Your Own Adventure or an RPG video game, most of us agree that i...

Send us Fan Mail Adventures Off the Table:  TTRPGs as the Inspiration Behind Fantasy Fiction   Malcolm is the GM this episode, and Jess joins us in the studio! Tori wins initiative and kicks off the discussion about how TTRPGs have inspired countless stories across books, movies, and TV. Dungeons & Dragons paved the way for worlds like Dragonlance , Forgotten Realms , and He-Man , showing how...

Send us Fan Mail Back to the Future (Kind of): Shadowrun’s Talkers and Techies   Arcadia takes the GM seat this round while Tori joins remotely—because who doesn’t like podcasting in pajamas? This episode dives into Shadowrun Fifth Edition , focusing on two key classes. Tori wins initiative but defers, giving Malcolm the floor to talk about his favorite class: the Face . The Face is the talker of...

Send us Fan Mail Sweet 16: Laughs, News, and TTRPG Community Love Malcolm leads us in our sweet 16 episode ! We’re here for laughs, sharing news, and celebrating the TTRPG community joining us at the table from around the world. We want to hear where you’re finding Atoria and would love to chat with you on our socials. Tori brings some big announcements for our Patreon community , Arcadia tries he...

Send us Fan Mail Law vs. Madness in Vampire: The Masquerade Malcolm takes the GM seat today while Tori joins us remotely! The ladies dive into two clans in Vampire: The Masquerade (VTM) . Arcadia kicks things off with the Banu Hakim . This lesser-known clan wasn’t originally part of the Camarilla and tends to be quite isolated. They have their own history, caste system, and organization , and the...

Send us Fan Mail The Power of the OGL and Creative Commons Tori brings the latest news for Dungeons & Dragons content creators to share with Malcolm and Arcadia. What does this news mean for the community? Is there anything new at the table for lovers of the world’s largest TTRPG? Join Tori, Malcolm, and Arcadia as they discuss the update to D&D’s System Reference Document (SRD) and what i...

Send us Fan Mail Great Players, Iconic Art, and When AI Fits In Arcadia takes the GM seat this episode, and Jess is back! Tori opens the discussion after losing initiative, exploring good and bad player characteristics . The top trait of a great player? Being engaged in the game . Remember, you’re working with the GM, not against them—a principle that holds true at most tables. Both GMs and player...

Send us Fan Mail When Dice Bring People Together   We get to try out some new podcasting tech today, as we’re joined remotely by a special guest! Coel Scheel shares his experience with gaming clubs in school. For him, these clubs were a great way to meet fellow gamers and bond over the geekier parts of life. He explains how high school clubs give students access to resources like D&D Beyond ,...

Send us Fan Mail Teaching, Homebrew, and the Power of Lore Malcolm takes the GM seat for this episode, while Arcadia rolls highest on initiative. Cady kicks off the conversation by exploring how teachers can use TTRPGs for learning. Homebrewing can create the right platform to teach specific skills and knowledge, whereas hack-and-slash campaigns don’t always cut it for subjects like economics or h...

Send us Fan Mail The Modern “Satanic Panic” and Game-Based Learning Malcolm takes the referee seat for this episode, while Tori rolled highest on initiative and dives back into the topic of the “Satanic Panic” , now resurfacing in modern form as the FURRIES Act , introduced by a Texas legislator. Because of the bill’s vague language, it could potentially block TTRPG clubs in schools under the clai...

Send us Fan Mail Exploring Character Flaws and You Don't Have To Be an Actor To Roleplay   Tori takes the referee seat for this episode, and we have a guest! Jess joins us in the studio as Malcolm kicks off the conversation with a discussion on character flaws . These aren’t about nerfing your character—they’re a way to prevent munchkining while adding depth beyond stereotypical heroes. Some...

Send us Fan Mail Gaming Pet Peeves and PC Death: Tips for Players and GMs Arcadia takes the referee seat in this episode as Tori opens with a list of gaming pet peeves from both sides of the table. Most of them boil down to one key idea: remember that TTRPGs are collaborative games . Be courteous to your fellow players and the GM—these roles aren’t adversarial. And don’t forget to check your chara...

Send us Fan Mail Min-Maxing Mayhem and the Secrets of Blackmoor Arcadia steps up as moderator for this episode as Tori dives into the world of min-maxing in D&D. An admitted optimizer herself, she shares how to build strong characters without becoming a problem player. We break down the differences between min-maxers, optimizers, munchkins, and powergamers—plus how DMs can handle main characte...

Send us Fan Mail From Satanic Panic to Honor Among Thieves In this episode, Tori takes the moderator’s chair as Arcadia kicks things off with the Satanic Panic mishigas of the 1980s, and how Dungeons & Dragons got pulled into the chaos. With latchkey kids spending their free time gaming, worried parents and sensationalist media painted D&D as dangerous—despite the irony that those kids wer...

Send us Fan Mail Level 1 or Bust: Starting Your Campaign Malcolm takes the moderator role in this episode as Arcadia argues for starting campaigns at level 1 . Beginning at the lowest level allows players to grow alongside their characters, learn the do’s and don’ts of gameplay, and naturally move the story forward. Tori counters that starting at level 1 can sometimes feel slow—but both agree that...

Send us Fan Mail Session 0 and Backstories: Laying the Groundwork In this episode, Arcadia takes the moderator’s seat as Malcolm kicks things off with a deep dive into Session 0 . This first session is an essential tool for any TTRPG table—it helps establish a “social contract,” outline house rules, and set expectations for both DMs and players. Session 0 is also the perfect time to address trigge...

Send us Fan Mail So You Want to Be a DM (or a PC) In this episode, Arcadia takes the moderator’s chair while Malcolm—our forever GM since the ’90s—opens the discussion on what it’s really like to run a game. Spoiler: It might not be as scary as you think. With so many GM resources available, anyone can get started. Rule #1? If you’re not having fun, your players probably aren’t either. And remembe...

Send us Fan Mail Finding the Right Table In this episode, Tori takes the moderator’s chair as Arcadia opens the discussion with one of the most important parts of TTRPGs: finding the right table. Not every group is a good fit, and sometimes the wrong table can sour the whole experience. As the saying goes, no D&D is better than bad D&D. But when you do find the right group, those connectio...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to our table! We’re three friends with over 100 years of combined TTRPG experience, gathering to talk about one of our favorite pastimes. With Malcolm as moderator, the discussion kicks off as Tori explores how the hobby is becoming more accessible and widely accepted. Increased visibility has brought exciting changes—more inclusivity, more players, and more ways to engage...