Character Build with Kyle David Perry

On this Season 2 Finale of Character Build Kyle has the privilege of speaking with professional GM and game designer Connie Chang (he/they/she)! Connie discusses his actual play show Transplanar RPG, and gives a valuable perspective on the presence of racism in the hobby. We also take plenty of time to dive into Connie’s new table top game GODKILLER: First Blood! Buckle up for a great season finale!

CONTENT WARNING:

-Discussions of racism

-Discussions of religious trauma

-Discussions and references to violence and peril throughout

-Brief mention of cannibalism

-Some language and themes may not be suitable for all audiences

GLOSSARY:

-Anti-Orientalist- a rejection of Orientalism, which is an approach to representing Asian countries through stereotypes, cliches, and generalizations typically established by Western and colonial perspectives. Connotatively the word “Oriental” is a harmful term often used to refer to any person or country from a country in Asia or an Eastern country

-AP- short for “actual play”

-Ashcan- a prerelease or public release of a game while it is still in the last stages of development

-Blades in the Dark - a TTRPG about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city (bladesinthedark.com)

-Blorbo- slang for someone’s favorite character from a piece of media

-Diasporic- (diaspora) a group of people who spread from one original country to other countries, or the act of spreading in this way (dictionary.cambridge.org)

-Homunculi - plural for homunculus, which is defined as “little person” or refers to a fully formed miniature human or humanoid creature

-Masks - a superhero TTRPG full of action, youthful angst, and dazzling bravery where young adults can take on the roles of members of the latest generation of superheroes (paraphrased from magpiegames.com)

-Non-colonial- the rejection of colonialism, which is defined (by dictionary.Cambridge.org) as the belief in and support for the system of one country controlling another

-Otaku- a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. (Miyadai, Shinji (2011). "Transformation of Semantics in the History of Japanese Subcultures since 1992". Mechademia via Wikipedia.com)

-PBTA- short for Powered by the Apocalypse, which is framework used for many TTRPGs

-Subsystem- a self-contained system part of a larger system, applied to games it can be referring to any system within a greater TTRPG

-TTRPG- table top role playing game

CHECK IT OUT:

Follow Connie Chang @byconniechang on Twitter, Instagram, itch.io, TikTok, and elsewhere

Follow Transplanar RPG @transplanarrpg on Twitch, Twitter, Instagram, and elsewhere

Follow Jonathan Charles at @the_lonely_orchestra

Find GODKILLER: First Blood on itch.io

Learn more about Auricle by following @auricle_podcast or visiting auriclethepodcast.com

CREDITS:

Produced, edited, and hosted by Kyle David Perry

Show art by Gabriella Ashlin

“Transplanar Preamble” (heard at the Outro) composed by Jonathan Charles

This week on Character Build the excellent Eryn Barnes (they/them) gets in the weeds to discuss authenticity, trusting your players at the table, and what it takes to be a dice goblin! Kyle and Eryn chat about the new A24 horror hit “Talk to Me” as well, it’s the season all year for scary stories! If you would like to avoid spoilers for “Talk to Me” you can skip to 53:30 once we bring it up.

CONTENT WARNING:

-Death

-Discussion of grief

-Possession

-Discussion of bloody horror violence and gore

-Brief discussion of cults

-Language and themes that may not be suitable for all audiences

GLOSSARY:

-Brechtian- refers to the work of 21st century German theatre playwright and practitioner Bertie Brecht

-Boon- a wish or favor granted within the power of a god, royalty, or other entity

-Dice goblin- Someone who likes to play with, collect, marvel at, talk about dice to the point of it unbecoming their personality

-Face- Typically a charismatic member of the party that acts as their representative in social situations

-Kobold- a mythical sprite with human and reptilian features

-Pantheon- a network of gods that exist within a certain universe

-Paladin- a class in D&D 5th edition that relies on an oath they have made to a god in order to receive healing and offensive abilities

CREDITS:

Produced and Edited by Kyle David Perry

Show Art by Gabriella Ashlin

Original music composed by Gabriella Ashlin

It’s good to be back and as unhinged as ever! GM Extraordinaire Sarah “Kal” Kalinski (she/they) has graced us with their presence to talk about the complexities of good and evil, the power of names, and her new actual-play podcast Crits & Tits! We get emotional, deep, and down right goofy in this episode. Be sure to review our episode-specific content warning and glossary of terms below. Spoiler Alert for Frank Herbert’s 1982 novel “The White Plague” and the 1988 film masterpiece “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. You’ve been warned!

CONTENT WARNING

-Death of a parent

-Death of a child

-Murder

-Brief mention of cannibalism

-Discussions of mental health

-Language that may not be suitable for all ages

GLOSSARY

-BBEG- Acronym for “big bad evil guy” which typically refers to any main villain in a table top story

-C3- Short for “Campaign 3”, which is the current campaign for the actual-play podcast Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPOD

-D20- Short for Dimension 20

-Dimension 20- A high-production actual play show with a rotating cast of characters season to season featured on Dropout, and Independant streaming network

-Fantasy High- The title of Dimension 20’s inaugural season, the conceit of which is “D&D meets John Hughes (Director of Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.)

-Short rest- The official NADDPOD after show where the four primary cast members discuss episodes week-to-week

CREDITS

Produced and Edited by Kyle David Perry

Show theme composed by Kyle David Perry

Show art created by Gabriella Ashlin

Original music composed by Gabriella Ashlin

Special Thanks to Riccarda Eickenberg

Velcome! And BOO! Mwahahaha!!! Thanks for listening to this special Halloween Kickback episode of Character Build! Fiona Sabrina (she/her) returns to deliver a queer thesis on the 1996 cult classic “The Craft” and filmmaker Danny Villanueva Jr. (he/him) talks about his horror anthology “I Dream of a Psychopomp”. Since we told you ours, we want to know…what’s your favorite scary movie?

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Content Warning for this episode:

-Discussions of horror elements throughout

-Descriptions of bloody violence and gore throughout

-Discussions of grief and family trauma throughout

-Mentions of physical trauma involving fire and burns

-Mentions of self harm and suicide

-Mentions of racism

-Mentions of physical assault and emotional abuse

-Contains strong language not suitable for all audiences and discussions of mature themes throughout

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Spoiler Warning:

-Scream (1996)

-The Craft (1996)

-Child’s Play 2 (1990)

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Character Build is produced and edited by Kyle David Perry

Show art by Gabriella Ashlin

Outro music [“SSH Theme (Revised)”] composed by Adam Qutaishat

Thanks for listening to Character Build! In this episode professional actor, filmmaker, and stunt person Chloe Baldwin (she/her/any/all) gets Shakespearean about tragic characters on as we discuss her new short film Morning is Broken and the real-life catharsis table top can foster. Then Chloe clears the table to talk about her time as Drag King Christian Rock!

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The content warning for this episode includes:

-Discussions of trauma

-Discussions of mental illness throughout

-Discussions of death and peril

-Brief mentions of alcohol consumption

-Severe language that may not be suitable for children

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Glossary:

-Risk- A strategy board game diplomacy, conflict, and conquest for two to six players. Originally released in 1957

-Inspiration- A mechanic from Dungeons & Dragons 5e among other versions and systems in where the GM or DM can give a resource called “Inspiration” out whenever they feel a player has done or said something inspiring. Inspiration allows a player to re-roll a failed roll at the discretion of the GM

-“Go down”- meaning that someone has dropped to 0 hot points and is now rolling death saving throws to determine whether their character stabilizes or dies

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Get your tickets to see Chloe in “POTUS” by Selina Fillinger at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, IL running from October 26 to December 10, 2023 at Steppenwolf.org

Keep up to date on where to see Chloe in “Morning is Broken” at chloebaldwin.net/morningisbroken

Follow Chloe on Instagram @chloeglowyflowy

Follow Christian Rock @christianrockdragking

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Produced and Edited by Kyle David Perry

Show art by Gabriella Ashlin

Opening theme and transition by Kyle David Perry

Additional music:

“All Arcadian’s Theme (Western) composed by Adam Qutaishat

Special thanks to Shane Richlen and Riccarda Eickenberg

Welcome to Character Build episode 10! Chicago Actor Shane Richlen (he/him) and I discuss empathizing with evil, mutual D&D character funerals, and how important it is to enjoy the stories you tell.

The content warning for this episode includes

-Discussions of death and dying in a violent manner

-Discussions of grief and loss of a loved one

-Explanations of peril in a burning building

-Gun use in a fantasy setting

-Explicit language not suitable for all ages

Glossary:

-Exhaustion (5e)- a mechanic used in D&D 5e to represent a character’s exhaustion levels affecting performance

-PVP- Player versus player

-Session Zero- A session ran by the GM that allows players to check in about their characters, backstories, relationships, and mechanics before the group starts playing. An excellent tool to ground players to their characters, the world, and each other.

Follow Shane on Instagram at @shane_richlen and follow Character Build @cbwithkdp

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Produced and edited by Kyle David Perry

Show art by Gabriella Ashlin

Opening theme composed by Kyle David Perry

Additional music:

“All Arcadians Goddess Theme” composed by Adam Qutaishat

Welcome all to the Season 2 premiere of Character Build! The outstanding Adam Qutaishat (any/all) takes character building to the 201 level as we discuss the gift that is failure, the importance of names, and the fluidity of collaborative story-telling!

The content warning for this episode includes:

-Discussions of racism

-Discussions of the pandemic

-Language that may not be suitable for children

Glossary for this episode:

-Alice is Missing- a “hugely replay-able” silent role-playing game about the disappearance of a teenage girl in a small town, where the story changes every time

-INSPIRISLES- a completely original all ages TTRPG promoting storytelling, empathy and Deaf awareness with an emphasis on cooperation. American and British Sign Language are used.

-OVERISLES- a direct sequel to and campaign setting for INSPIRISLES

-Monster of the Week- A TTRPG with a focus on Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Supernatural style adventures

-Divination - a completely Tarot-driven TTRPG

-Game Manager- an all-encompassing term for GM, game master, DM, dungeon master, storyteller, or any other term that describes someone running a table top game

-Listen to Adam Qutaishat’s podcast Vigil, available anywhere you like to listen to podcasts.

-Check out An American Mythology: https://www.mtmadison.com/an-american-mythology

-Check out Finding Me: https://www.mtmadison.com/finding-me

Follow Character Build on Instagram at @cbwithkdp

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Produced and Edited by Kyle David Perry

Show art by Gabriella Ashlin

Opening theme composed by Kyle David Perry

Additional music:

“All-Arcadians Theme (Western)” composed by Adam Qutaishat

Just a little something to tell us what we are all about! Expect new episodes on most Tuesdays of this Fall going into winter. Season 1 is available now to stream!

Welcome to the season finale of Character Build! The legendary B. Dave Walters joins the program to take the show’s prompts to level 20! We discuss how new players always play themselves, the joys of parenting, and all things vampire! Stay until the very end to hear some special thanks for this season of Character Build.

Follow B. Dave at @bdavewalters on social media!

Make sure to check out the following as well:

www.undisputedacademy.com

D&D in a Castle- B. Dave is available for round 4!

https://shop.dndinacastle.com/products/round-4-2023

Air DnD: Immortal Souls Nexus 6

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/airdnd-with-b-dave-walters-immortal-souls-nexus-6-tickets-667813567357

Follow the show @cbwithkdp on Instagram

Content Warning:

-References to suicide

-References to child endangerment and child neglect

-References to death associated with fire

-Discussions of violence including fantasy violence and explosions

-Language Level: PG-13

Glossary:

-Black Dice Society- an official D&D stream set in the horror setting Ravenloft

-Caine- (or Cain) is considered the first vampire or the “father of all kindred”

-Cheese- the name of Carlos Lina’s character in Dimension 20: Pirates of Leviathan

-Crunchy- refers to a game, session, or table with a distinct focus on the numbers and mechanics of a sometimes-otherwise RPG-driven setting. Think crunching numbers.

-Dhampir- a term used to refer to “half-vampires”

-Flavor- a term that refers to changing how something looks or something is narrated in a TTRPG without changing the mechanical qualities or outcome of whatever is being changed narratively (ex. A player who’s character has magical boots can ask if the boots can appear as Converse high tops, for flavor)

-Gloomstalker- A subclass of the D&D Ranger class that relies on stealth

-Heroes of the Veil- A D&D Beyond actual-play program

-Hunter’s Mark- A spell in D&D 5the edition that’s grown to be a signature ability of the Ranger class

-LA By Night- An episodic actual-play using the TTRPG Vampire the Masquarade focused on group of vampires in modern-day Las Angeles

-Min maxer- one who optimizes their character’s mechanics by maximizing certain traits while minimizing others

-Multiclassing- taking levels in multiple classes

-PVP- Player versus Player

-Rifts- A multi-generational role playing game created in 1990 that takes place in a post-apocalypse setting and derives genre notes from cyberpunk, Sci-Fi, horror, western, among others [Wikipedia]

-Roll in the Family- A D&D stream that featured creators and their family members playing together

-Vampire the Masquarade- A TTRPG created in 1991 set in a “gothic-punk” version of the modern world about the night-to-night struggles of vampires, called Kindred, as they struggle against their own bestial natures, vampire hunters, and each other [Wikipedia]

-We’re Alive: Frontier- A post-apocalyptic adventure based on the award-winning podcast

Welcome to Character Build, where this week we are clearing the table and stepping away from TTRPGs! Our guest Rogue Schmidt (she/they) get’s serious about comedy as we discuss being personal versus being palatable and Rogue breaks down their solo show The Locker Room.

Content Warning for this episode:

-Discussions about grief including loss of a parent

-A brief reference to transphobia

-A brief reference to illness afflicting children

-Discussion of gun violence and children in danger

Language Level: R-Rated

Follow Rogue on Instagram at @rogueschmidt. Follow the show on Instagram @cbwithkdp.

Glossary:

-AP- Referring to classes taken at the Annoyance Theatre

-Edits- Refers to when a performer stops a scene to change to something else during an improvised montage.

-Montage- A series of scenes improvised by a troupe or team of performers, typically after receiving a suggestion from the audience.

-“TERFy”- A TERF is a trans exclusionary radical feminist

Credits:

Music (besides the opening theme) composed by Adam Qutaishat

Character Build art: Gabriella Ashlin