The Monster's Playbook

Who's investigating whom? As our heroes dig deeper into the mysterious forces haunting their town, it seems like some mysterious forces are digging deeper into them. That's the thing about a persistent gameworld like Kings of Bolera: Whether you're playing or not, the game goes on… ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to sh...

The day is saved, but the danger is just beginning. It turns out the world of Kings of Bolera is, like, real. So maybe it's time to get a better sense of the game world. After all, if there's a danger hiding here, it's better to find it before it finds you. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with...

With a more complete understanding of the world they're walking around in—and a mysterious new ally—Jack, Robert, and Sutton finally have a sense of what they're up against. The trouble is, that just means they truly understand the depth of the mistake they've made. They'll have to travel deeper into Kings of Bolera than they ever thought they'd go, or a little goblin from the...

Okay, so that's where the monster came from: A decades-old online RPG. All we have to do is… go inside the video game and solve the problem from the inside out, right? But when you go into a place this different, will you be the same person when you walk out? ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with your f...

Welcome to Broken River, Minnesota. There's a lot to see here. From the huge but forbidding dive bar Dog Tags to the iconic underground canal tunnels to the historic apartment building where our three heroes lay their heads. But there's even more that you can't see. Like the creature that's just gotten loose in town… from somewhere far away. ------- If you liked this episode, pleas...

It’s The Pest’s Playbook! Sam R., William, and Sam D from Pest Control join Lauren, Miah, and Jonny for “The Conservatory.” A tarot-based world-building game. Join us as we turn the most mundane organization we could think of—a local driving school—into something very weird, very frightening, and very very Wisconsin-y. ------- Thank you to ⁠⁠Pest Control⁠⁠ for joining us for this episode, be sure...

These are the players. But this is no game. Welcome to Channels. It's a whole new campaign in a whole new world with a whole new player! Let's check in with Jonny, Miah, Lauren, and new player Drew! Meet Sutton Malone, a vampire doing her best to lie low. Jack Harrow, a former thief doing her best to stay on the straight and narrow. And Robert V. Slaughter, an aging custodian who is just the best....

Reality is fragile in Broken River, Minnesota. There’s been a weakening of the walls between what is real and what isn’t. And three unsuspecting citizens will find themselves unwitting adventurers in… a late-90s online video game?? Yes, elderly custodian Robert V. Slaughter, former thief Jack Harrow and literal vampire Sutton Malone will fight scary monsters, meet colorful characters, and hopefull...

Enjoy our first batch of Patreon bloopers from Season 2's DRUM arc, now available for all! Aw, hey guys! It's me, Dockers. Everybody's favorite high guy who's not alive. Things have been pretty scary on the show lately, but that doesn't mean we don't have fun around here. These guys talk a lot and sometimes the words just get away from them, you know? Let's take a listen to some futzes and flubs f...

The Painted Crow was one of our first Patreon NPC bonus episodes, now available for all! How did Ramsey / Lincoln end up as the taciturn shopkeeper with more knowledge than patience? Unfortunately, we're about to find out. Something important has gone missing from the Clockwork Child. Skaal, the mystical tracker, is meant to be resting safely in the mural on the back of the store. But he's been ta...

After four years and almost a hundred episodes, it's over. The Cover Story Campaign is finally complete. Join the cast as we answer questions from listeners—and from each other—and reflect on everything our characters have been through, and maybe what it all means. ---------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with your...

When the battle is over, it’s time to rebuild. And around here, that means reconnecting with the people you love. Maybe now that the threat to existence has ended, we can just spend some time together, and nothing dramatic has to happen. DID YOU HEAR ME, GUYS? NOTHING dramatic has to happen…We’ll see about that. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread...

FULL ON ASSAULT! It’s final boss time, everybody! For too long, it’s been The Star King making plans. But now Kira, Anna, Mark and Theo have put their plan into motion as well. And now it’s like they say: May the best plan win.------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with your friends. We love friends! Subscribe to our...

Okay. Cool. We got him. The Star King is trapped. That’s… good, right? Except hang on: He still has the team’s closest friends god knows where, they still have the Star Princes to worry about and—oh yeah—there’s still the last phase of the plan to *checks notes* rewrite an entire chapter of reality. No pressure, gang. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us s...

If you’re trying to trap a god, what do you use as bait? Why, everything, of course. It will take some of the team’s finest minds to lure the Star King into a snare, while a completely different set of equally fine minds try to lure his Princes to a battlefield the good guys control. We’ve got Thinkers, and we’ve got Bruisers, and everybody has their work cut out for them. All they have to do now…...

The balance of power has changed in a big way. After some major shifts in the Kingdoms of There—and we do mean MAJOR—it's anybody's guess whether our heroes will be able to pull off their crazy-ambitious plan. It would be a toss-up on the best of days, and these… are not the best of days.------ If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget...

When the bad guys make big moves, the good guys make big plans. On this show, the bad guys are really bad. But there are also a LOT of good guys on this show. Maybe it's time to give some of them a call? It's all hands on deck for the Cover Story crew. But will it be enough? ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share wit...

Everybody has a reason why they fight. For our heroes, it’s the friends & family they need to protect. They’ll push themselves to the limits to keep them safe. Trouble is: their enemy has a reason, too. And The Star King doesn’t have the same limits they do… ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with your friend...

No more mysteries. It’s time to get to the bottom of everything. While Mark recovers from his grave injuries inside Ramsey/Lincoln’s mysterious wooded tapestry, Kira, Theo and Anna seek answers from some unexpected sources. When your enemy is on the scale of a King of There, every other threat suddenly doesn’t seem as scary. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to he...

SPECIAL GUEST ALERT!!! Friend-of-the-Pod Sero invited Jonny to run a one-shot and you KNOW our guy loves to make players smile/suffer. This time it's a reality TV competition show pitting the newcomer Remington family against the instantly unlikable reigning champs, The Crest-Colgates. This episode has everything: Ghosts. Urban Development. Unscrupulous Reality TV Directors. Maybe a Werewolf? Dysf...

What happens when your sanctuary becomes a target? The Clockwork Child is under siege. But it’s not as simple as fighting off attackers. It’ll take brains and brawn to protect their friends and save as many people as they can. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to share with your friends. We love friends! Subscribe to our...

When you've got a big problem, you need a big idea. And Mark, Kira, Anna and Theo are trying to pull off a couple of the biggest ideas they've ever had. They've got to deal with the Reaper. They've got to escape from the Sea Kingdom AGAIN. And in the end? They have to prevent the walls that hold up the universe from crashing down around them. We know we're working with Big Ideas. Let's see if any...

Sometimes you get exactly what you want, but it's all too much. When Theo claims the Eye of Endregoras, will she be able to handle all that power? And even though they've got the target of the heist, there's still the matter of the Reaper--the living spirit of death that keeps the Dead Sea dead. The mission is simple: Make it out alive. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and...

It's Heist Time, Baby! We've set our sights on one of the most powerful artifacts in creation YET AGAIN, and it'll take all the cunning and connections they've got for Mark, Theo, Anna and Kira to secure the second Eye of Endregoras. Bad news? It's located in the Dead Sea Kingdom. MORE bad news? The way back in is through the office of the city's premier crime boss—and resident nemesis—Rex Crook....

How it started vs how it's going ttrpg characters. Book Club is back with an intimate conversation with Cap (Shrimp and Crits), Teo (Monster Hour) and Lauren (The Monster's Playbook) about their approach to character creation. This episode is perfect for players who need some inspiration on creating characters, getting into your character's mindset and much more. ------- If you liked this episode,...