23. The Greatest TTRPG Event of the Century

In the newest episode of Inside The Table, we ask: "What The Hell Brings Player Characters Together?" We discuss the tools (or lack of tools) utilized in games that encourage building bonds and investment in the story at your table.

But first, Cole talks about their experience with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which was a joy to watch, even if it was a little Marvel-y. We also chat about the surprising behind the scene videos showing the incredible puppets and practical effects that were used in this film, especially given the industry's focus on CGI in recent years.

Marley has been excited for the latest fishing survival horror game, Dredge. It's a game with three things he loves: Inventory management, cool maps, and eldritch horror. It's also a great, if sometimes stressful way to while away a few hours and damn, it would be sick to write a TTRPG like this.

On the tabletop side of things, Cole revisits Scum & Villany by Stras Acimovic & John Lebouf-Little – it's the sci-fi space drama hack of Blades in the Dark, swapping out crew playbooks with different ship types to use on their space escapades. Also, Cole is about to use it as an introductory game for his D&D group, so that should be interesting!

Marley jumps feet first into Skyfarer: The Sunless Skies Role-Playing Game by Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor. It's a TTRPG set in the Fallen London universe, in which you play as a crew of a spacefaring locomotive who have lost their captain for one reason or another and must delve the High Wilderness themselves or die trying. It's a really neat game with some solid mechanical ideas, if perhaps a little inaccessible for the non-Fallen London-heads among its players (as might be expected).

Finally, Cole looks at Briar Sovereign's April Fool's joke and new Armour Astir supplement: Amor Astir, which allows you to elope with your rival, have sex with your buds, and become a poster child for the revolution. (And also in the game.)

Then, on to the main topic: "What The Hell Brings Player Characters Together??"

In this, we have an extended discussion about how TTRPGs build up relationships between player characters (mechanically and narratively), building connections to the game-world, and what we do when some TTPRGs don't include rules for teamwork. We also answer the vital question: Which TTRPG has the TTRPG world's greatest approach to player bonds??

Featuring Marley (⁠@Mynar_Lenahan⁠) and Cole (@IceColeBrew).

Produced by Marley, as well.

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Inside The Table: A Tabletop RPG Talk Show

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