Finding Atoria

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...