The Monster's Playbook

The team gets a lead on their arch-nemesis… from their other arch-nemesis. But Nathaniel Rose isn’t the only monster stalking the city tonight. It’s time for those famous last words: “Let’s Split Up, Gang!” But this’ll probably go all right. … Right? Content Warning: This episode contains violence and some brief moments of body horror. ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and r...

We turned some shrimps into goats. That’s right, we invited the crew of Shrimp and Crits to play a little game called Goat Crashers with Miah and Lauren. It’s simple, the players are goats and they want to party!! Problem is, the humans are hosting the party and they don’t want goat guests. So the goats have no other option but to PARTY HARD and access their power of chaos.------- If you liked thi...

With a missing friend and a killer on the loose, things are getting a little tense around supernatural Minneapolis. And they’re about to get worse. Because whoever’s out there hurting people, isn’t only hurting them. They’re harvesting. But for what purpose? And will the team be able to stop them in time? Content Warning: Dissociative Episodes ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rati...

An unexpected phone call puts the team on their very least favorite kind of case: A Missing Person. And, in true Cover Story fashion, it gets worse. There’s a serial killer on the loose. A set of gruesome murders around the city may be something less-than-natural. And with that kind of danger out there, you do NOT want to have one of your friends missing. Content Warning: Dissociative Episodes ---...

Confrontation! The team finds themselves up against an enemy where just killing it might not be an option. So they'll have to fight smarter, not harder, if they're going to make it out. As always, after the fight comes something even worse: Consequences. Content Warning: Dissociative episodes, emotional abuse ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us sp...

It's just about as normal a week as we get around here. Bowling dates, long shifts at work, and quality time with loved ones. But someone with familiar glowing tattoos seems to be following our heroes around the city. Is this who we think it is? Or is it—somehow—even worse? Content Warning: Reference to Self-Harm ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us sp...

A child’s imagination brings a toy to life, helping them forget the world as it is and protecting the child from what lurks in the shadows. Like many kids, they grow up and unfortunately lose or outgrow their toys. Some lost toys are not always unloved toys. Sometimes they are misplaced. This may be the case for Polly the lost Polly Pocket, Commander Midnight the lost GI Joe, Mikey the lost Mr. Mi...

Welcome back to Book Club! This one is a must for anyone looking to level up their roleplaying. Lauren had the absolute pleasure to speak with fellow podcasters and self-proclaimed "theater kids" Allard (The Dice Crisis), Cap (Shrimp and Crits), Ghost (Dungeons and Pop), and Heather (Nameless Monsters). Come listen as we discuss the highs and lows of roleplaying, tips for getting into ch...

The team is out of the Dead Sea, but they're not out of the woods yet! The first steps back on solid ground are shaky. Obviously, they've wound up in the last place on Earth they want to be. Plus, something is wrong with Mark's "brother" Lowry. And who's that sneaking around? It's The Invisible Family. And they do not like being interrupted. ------- If you liked this...

It's a return to THERE. But this time, they have a couple of advantages. First, they already have a guide. But more than that, with Mark's history returned, he can fully navigate the mysterious Kingdom of the Sky. That advantage will only take them so far, because Kira Ashwood is in the Sea Kingdom. And you know what they say about the Sea --------- If you liked this episode, please leave...

Kira Ashwood is missing. Her hunt for The Tower sent her somewhere Anna, Theo and Mark cannot follow. The good news is, they have an ally who will know how to track her down. The bad news is, they might not like what they find. ------- 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 t...

The true culprit has been sussed out, but what is she up to? Kira, Anna, Mark and Theo track down the villainous Tower, and do what they can to get to the bottom of her sinister plans. What they find will take them deeper than they may want to go… Content warning: Substance abuse ------- If you liked this episode, please leave a rating and review to help us spread the word and don't forget to...

Content Warning : Self-harm "I'm Quatraile!" Mark, Theo, Kira, and Anna meet a mysterious captive with more secrets than she knows what to do with. But getting her free isn't going to be easy. And not just because of the horde of monsters descending on the team. There's something odd going on with the girl. Something… not quite alive.  In Memory of Betsy: This episode is dedicated to our dear frie...

Welcome back to BOOK CLUB! The fictional worlds we build in TTRPGs can get pretty dangerous, but the people at the table should always feel safe. Jonny talks with Natalie, Keeper of the Storyteller Squad and Zoe, GM of The Writer’s Room to talk about what makes roleplaying a uniquely vulnerable experience for players and GMs alike, how to make your table welcoming to all, and how working with your...

SEASON THREE PREMIERE!! Life has gone back to what passes for normal for Mark, Theo, Kira and Anna. But a new mystery comes knocking—literally. Mark is summoned to take on an investigation for a familiar client: Rex Crook. But what does it mean to go into business with the city's pre-eminent supernatural crime lord? And what could he possibly need help with? ------- If you liked this episode, plea...

That was nuts, right!? In this edition of BOOK CLUB we'll answer Jonny's favorite question: "What was everybody's least favorite part?" We'll look back on not just the last, biggest mystery of the year, but at the entire second season. We'll look at how far our characters have come, and talk about how some of them will be moving forward, even as others are moving on. ------- If you liked this epis...

It's over. It's finally over. But then… nothing is really over. The threat is ended, but the damage is done. As Mark, Kira, Anna and Theo reflect on the havoc The Drum has wrought on the world and on their lives, Casey looks forward to the future. As they know better than anyone: No matter what happens, the most important thing is what you do next.  Content Warning: This episode contains mentions...

THE BATTLE OF THE BARN. The Drum descends upon the Dress Barn. Will Casey, Mark, Theo, Kira and Anna be able to stand against the combined might of the Director and his minions? Maybe, if Captain Torres, Donovan, Dockers, The Sparks Brothers, Mark's Mom and all of Dawnbreak have anything to say about it!   Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of child abuse and dissociative disorders. T...

Book Club editor edition! Wondering how The Monster's Playbook sounds so good? Or who's the music magician behind some of your favorite podcasts? Miah geeked out with fellow podcast editors Ian from Shrimp and Crits and Matt from Debate This! learning about how they fell into the seat of podcast editor, what are their computer setups and what grinds their audio gears. Take a peak behind the curtai...

Pieces are being moved into place on both sides of the board. The end, as they say, is nigh. Mark and Kira are learning more about themselves than ever before, but what will they do with what they learn? Captain Torres is reuniting with allies from her past, for better and for worse. Anna and Theo are getting downright experimental with their magical skills. And Casey? She’s about to go to war wit...

Sneaking into your own workplace shouldn’t be this stressful. But EARS isn’t just any office. It’s the home base of the secretive and sinister Drum, and the deeper in they go, the harder it will be to get out in one piece. ------- 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! Support the Show: Fo...

Have you ever watched a reality tv series like Storage Wars and thought, "Man, I wish there was a ttrpg for this"? Look no further than Bid Around the Bush, a one-page GM-less game, where the PCs try to make a profit from abandoned storage units. Join Jonny, Miah, John and special guest Ian Mauldin for this wild one-shot as their characters battle it out and risk it all in the hopes of finding tre...

Knowledge is power. And Mark, Casey, Theo, Tiff, Anna & Kira are going to need as much of both as they can get. The Drum isn’t just any threat and this won’t be just any mission. They’ll only get one shot. So they better not miss… ------- 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! Join us...

Sick of being on the wrong side of the upper hand, the team plans to move against The Drum. Fortunately, they’ve made just about as many friends as enemies. And it’s time to call in some favors. Content Warning: This episode contains instances of dissociative episodes. To learn more about Dissociative Identity Disorder visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness. ------- If you liked this episod...

Captain Torres returns. With horrible news. She's uncovered a troubling operation begun years ago by none other than The Drum. But it gets worse. Because somehow, the operation involves Kira Ashwood herself. And they're running out of time to try and stop it.  Content Warning: This episode contains instances of dissociative episodes. To learn more about Dissociative Identity Disorder visit the Nat...