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The episode centers on the innovative and experimental podcast "Roll for Rivals," where the unique premise of splitting the party is explored, presenting a dual narrative of heroes and villains. Judah, the distinguished producer and Dungeon Master, elaborates on the challenges and intricacies of orchestrating such a dynamic, ensuring that every action has a corresponding reaction. As the discussion unfolds, we delve into the rigorous preparation involved in crafting a cohesive storyline amidst the chaos that ensues from players’ decisions. The episode also highlights the significance of character development and the ethical dilemmas faced in a game where permanence, such as character deaths, looms large. Ultimately, this episode serves as a testament to the creativity and complexity inherent in tabletop role-playing games, inviting listeners to appreciate the artistry involved in storytelling and gameplay. The podcast episode presents a rich tapestry of discourse surrounding the innovative structures and thematic explorations of the Dungeons & Dragons realm, particularly through the lens of the unique podcast 'Roll for Rivals'. This episode prominently features Judah, a distinguished Dungeon Master (DM) and producer, who elucidates the experimental nature of his podcast, which intriguingly embraces the concept of splitting the party—a notion often deemed hazardous in traditional gameplay. Judah articulates the complexities and nuances that emerge from this split perspective, where villains wreak havoc and heroes endeavor to mitigate the ensuing chaos. The conversation delves into the genesis of this idea, inspired by previous experiences in tabletop gaming, and Judah's fervent desire to push the boundaries of conventional storytelling within the D&D framework. The episode further highlights the intricate planning required to maintain coherence and engagement across dual narratives, offering listeners an insightful view into the meticulous craft of DMing.

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The principal theme of this podcast episode revolves around the unpredictable nature of tabletop role-playing games, encapsulated succinctly in the phrase "One shot, one fight." This episode delves into the chaotic and often humorous experiences that arise during gameplay, where the stakes are high, and the outcomes can be both catastrophic and exhilarating. We engage in contemplative discussions about the intricacies of character development, the emotional weight of victories and defeats, and the camaraderie that forms among players. Through a series of anecdotes and reflections, we explore the fascinating dynamics of our Dungeons & Dragons sessions, where laughter and tension intertwine seamlessly. Ultimately, we aim to illuminate the profound connections forged through shared adventures, underscoring the notion that this journey transcends mere gaming.

Takeaways:

1. In this episode, we delve into the unique dynamics of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign, highlighting the entertaining chaos that ensues during gameplay.
2. The hosts share their experiences and strategies for introducing new players to the world of Dungeons & Dragons, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in gaming.
3. A significant theme discussed involves the memorable moments and character developments that arise throughout the campaign, showcasing the emotional investment of the players.
4. The podcast navigates the humorous mishaps associated with rolling dice, particularly the implications of critical failures and their impact on player morale.
5. Listeners are treated to a comprehensive overview of the group’s character interactions, revealing the complexities and intricacies of their relationships within the game.
6. The episode concludes with reflections on the role of storytelling in Dungeons & Dragons, illustrating how narratives can enhance player engagement and enjoyment.

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This tavern visit centers around the enthralling tabletop role-playing game, "Flintlock and Fog," crafted by our guest, David. In a captivating discussion, David elucidates the unique premise of his game, which interweaves historical facts and literary fiction from the Victorian era, thereby creating an innovative and immersive experience for players. We delve into the intricacies of gameplay mechanics, including the introduction of historically relevant ailments and creative character archetypes, which contribute to the game's distinctive atmosphere. Furthermore, David shares insights into his journey in developing "Flintlock and Fog," offering an exclusive glimpse into the upcoming Kickstarter campaign and associated one-shot adventures. Through this dialogue, we aim to ignite the imaginations of our listeners and foster a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling within the realm of tabletop gaming.

Takeaways:

1. The creation of 'Flintlock and Fog' intertwines historical facts with literary fiction from the Victorian era, producing a unique tabletop RPG experience.
2. The game's development has spanned eight years, evolving from a personal project to a broader initiative, aiming to engage both veteran and novice players.
3. Key gameplay mechanics incorporate historical diseases, such as syphilis and cholera, adding a layer of realism and consequence to player interactions.
4. The podcast episode features humorous anecdotes about character interactions, particularly involving a character named Beefus Iron Cheeks and his adventures.
5. Player feedback during beta testing has influenced the simplification of character creation and gameplay mechanics to enhance accessibility.
6. The creator expresses a desire to merge steampunk elements into the game, indicating future expansions and thematic explorations.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. Flintlock and Fog

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Welcome back to Chat 1 & Done — one roll, no takebacks, maximum regret — and tonight the tavern is packed.

Rudy welcomes Thunderleaf Gaming in full force: Greg, Donnie, Rae, Amie, and Mike, officially setting the record for most guests crammed around the tavern table at once. Chairs are scarce, side conversations are constant, and the chaos hits immediately.

Thunderleaf Gaming is a tight-knit tabletop crew running horror specials, long-form D&D campaigns, Cyberpunk one-shots, and enough homebrew to make a rulebook sweat. This episode is less “interview” and more “group survival check,” which honestly feels right for the tavern.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

Who Thunderleaf Gaming Is

• Greg — Founder of Thunderleaf Gaming and ringmaster of their horror specials
• Donnie — Campaign DM and long-term chaos coordinator
• Mike — Cyberpunk runner and one-shot menace
• Amie — Invited once, caused chaos immediately, somehow still allowed back
• Rae — Player, instigator, and proof that no one gets kicked out

Experience Across the Table From newer players to 15-year veterans who started back in 4th Edition (and are deeply offended that 2010 is now considered “a long time ago”).

Campaign Whiplash (The Fun Kind) Homebrew worlds, Rime of the Frostmaiden, Shattered Obelisk, Eve of Vecna, Humblewood, and everything in between — all twisted just enough to keep players nervous.

Horror as a Playstyle Why tension beats jump scares, bad decisions feel better when consequences matter, and horror campaigns hit different at a trusted table.

The Gateway Nerd Effect D&D leads to Magic. Magic leads to Warhammer. Warhammer leads to regret. No one escapes.

From Random Recruits to Real Groups Bulletin-board strangers become weekly sessions, then multi-year campaigns — the real tabletop magic trick.

Group Energy at Critical Mass Interruptions, jokes mid-sentence, and the realization that five guests might be the limit… or the new standard.

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Pull up a chair, adventurers — and secure all loose wildlife — because this episode immediately goes off the rails.

Rudy welcomes Lilith (she/her), aka Demonesstoimpress — cosplayer, content creator, chaotic D&D gremlin, and actual-play cleric from Dragon’s Rest Tavern — into the Chat 1 & Done tavern, and what follows is a masterclass in joyful derailment.

From pocket-stuffing clerics and adopted kobolds to cosplay corsets, spite-built homebrew worlds, and the invention of the Honey Badger Skip-It™, this episode proves once and for all that rules are optional, vibes are mandatory, and pettiness is a valid DM motivation.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

Actual-Play Chaos Meet Chrysanthemum (“Chris”), an earth genasi cleric with anxiety, durability, and infinite pockets adventuring through Sunless Citadel — adopting kobolds, weaponizing frogs, and processing grief like a champ.

Dragon Inspectors, Magic Fruit & Coming-of-Age Trauma Act One ends with healing, growth, and pretending to be inspectors. As one does.

Cosplay Adventures From Athena (Greek myth) to Persona 5 Royal and Dimension 20 — including hand-made corsets, blood/sweat/tears, and aggressive swearing.

Pocket Meta Why always having something in your pockets is peak cleric strategy.

Druid Supremacy Shapeshifting, honey badgers, birds, vibes — and why wanting to be a badger is not a flaw.

The Honey Badger Skip-It™ A theoretical weapon so powerful it threatens encounter balance, ankles, and the Geneva Convention.

Spite-Fueled DM Origin Story Didn’t want to DM. Did it anyway. Read the DMG cover-to-cover. Built a homebrew world. Drafted players. Villain arc unlocked.

Julius Cheese-ar A tiny Roman-armored mouse NPC. Loved. Given away. False-Hydra’d. Emotional damage inflicted on the table (and several PetSmarts).

DM Walk-Out Song The Jellyfish Jam from SpongeBob. Crowned instantly.

Magic Item or Malarkey Gloom Glass Monocle. Professor Orb. Inkwell of Ghostwriting. Everyone guesses wrong. Chaos reigns.

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Pull up a chair, adventurers — tonight the tavern welcomes a true Forever DM with ink-stained notes, battle scars from whiteboard maps, and a whole book of legends forged at the table.

Rudy sits down with Morgan from Heroes of Evermore, storyteller, Dungeon Master, author, and champion of turning live-play chaos into fully realized fantasy novels. What starts as a conversation about D&D roots quickly spirals into puzzles no one solved, doors that should’ve just been turned, and dragons that absolutely should not have been jumped onto mid-flight.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

Heroes of Evermore, From Table to Book Morgan breaks down how a two-year live-play campaign became a novel with perfect reviews, epic narration, and an upcoming audiobook — all without losing the soul of the original game.

The Forever DM Life Why Morgan DMs, how it started, and what happens when you’re the one holding the world together while players try to punch gods.

Puzzles vs Players The infamous “fifth-grade puzzle” incident — solved only after an hour… by flipping it over.

Doors Are the Real Final Boss Locked doors. Unlocked doors. Doors turned into shields. Heroes of Evermore proves that no door is safe.

Medieval Spider-Man Energy Artificers, gunslingers, arachnoid stalker rogues, +19 sleight of hand, wall-crawling, red eyes under cloaks — nightmare fuel in the best way.

Nat 20 Glory A shy Dragonborn cleric jumps onto a dragon mid-battle, wrestles it in the air, and crashes it into a siege engine — killing ogres and cementing legend status.

Nat 1 Trauma A monk decides to fistfight a Kraken. A rope is involved. The Kraken wins… briefly.

Redemption Through Gunpowder Explosions, teamwork, barrels in mouths, and cinematic regurgitation save the party in true D&D fashion.

The DM Walk-Out Song Morgan reveals the song he’d choose if he ever walked onstage to DM the biggest table of his life — and it hits.

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Welcome back to the tavern, Lords and Ladies — Season 3 has officially begun, and things immediately go very, very wrong.

While CJ and Rudy were busy enjoying freedom, sunlight, and functional chairs, Dante was left behind — abandoned, incarcerated, spiritually entrapped, and forced to survive the city dungeon with nothing but grit, trauma, and a new best friend named Slippery Rick.

So naturally… the show opens under new management.

For a brief, terrifying moment, Dante seizes control of Chat 1 & Done, introduces his prison-forged co-host, and lays out some very clear ground rules involving arcane portals, milk crates, and what happens if CJ and Rudy interrupt.

Spoiler: They interrupt.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

Dante’s Prison Arc Wrongful incarceration, unpaid bail, and the emotional toll of being forgotten by your employers.

Slippery Rick’s Debut Career criminal. Toe-eater. Problem solver. An absolute menace and Dante’s new ride-or-die.

CJ & Rudy Return… Poorly Claims of posted bail, mysterious missing gold, and the shocking realization that Dante has been teleporting this whole time while everyone else paid bus fare.

The Chair Incident Milk crates are introduced. Chairs are questioned. At least one chair must be burned.

Arcane Portals & Threats Dante reveals a new magical ability and makes it very clear: cooperation is not optional.

The Prison Story Begins A candlelit grove. Immaculate vibes. Consent felt implied. Foreshadowing was ignored. The transformation starts.

And that’s where the episode leaves you — mid-story, mid-trauma, and fully aware that Season 3 is going to be unhinged.

Pull up a chair, adventurers — this one’s for all of you.

In this special Holiday / Season 2 Recap episode of Chat 1 & Done, CJ and Rudy kick back in the tavern to reflect on everything that went right, everything that went off the rails, and everything that somehow worked anyway. No guest interviews this time — just gratitude, chaos, and a whole lot of love for the community that made Seasons 1 and 2 possible.

This episode is part recap, part teaser, part emotional send-off, and part drunken tavern monologue delivered with a raised mug and zero planning.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

How Chat 1 & Done Somehow Survived Two Seasons From “we didn’t think this would last” to planning Season 3, CJ and Rudy reflect on how a tavern-style D&D podcast grew into a real community.

A Look Back at Season 2’s Guests From Dice Circus to The Crit Awards, Nomadic Bard to Coffee & D&D, the crew reminisces about meeting creators from all over the world and how every single guest showed up humble, hilarious, and down-to-earth.

Dante’s Legacy (and Legal Troubles) Skeletons with W-2s. Mermaid bathwater. Haunted nonsense. Dante’s news segments get their flowers — even if he’s currently locked in the dungeon awaiting bail.

Favorite Moments & Unplanned Chaos The moments where everyone broke character, lost it laughing, or watched a guest immediately jump into the madness without hesitation.

Why This Isn’t a “Professional Podcast” — On Purpose No scripts. No polish. No gatekeeping. Just nerds in a tavern asking questions, sharing laughs, and celebrating tabletop culture.

Community Over Clout Why this show isn’t about “cornering the market,” but about lifting up creators, staying connected, and building something genuine.

Season 3 Teasers

• Returning guests
• New faces
• Possibly multiple Coffee & D&D members at once
• Maximum chaos guaranteed

Holiday Thanks & Final Words A sincere thank-you to listeners, guests, supporters, lurkers, Discord members, and everyone who shared an episode, laughed along, or just stuck around.

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Welcome back, weary travelers — and pull up a chair one last time. The candles are low, the mugs are full, and the tavern is absolutely unhinged as Chat 1 & Done wraps up Season 2 with none other than Mac from Coffee & D&D.

This isn’t just another episode — it’s the final pour of the season, and we go out exactly how we came in: laughing too loud, flirting with danger, and immediately derailing the conversation.

CJ and Rudy sit down with Mac to talk D&D origins, Pathfinder beginnings, online campaigns across time zones, and why every suspicious basement is either haunted or the perfect D&D room. Sometimes both.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

Mac’s Origin Story From Pathfinder barbarian roots to 5e chaos, Mac shares how a simple “hey, wanna play?” turned into years of dice, friendships, and late-night sessions.

The Curse of Time Zones Why playing D&D online means someone is always tired, someone is always drinking coffee, and someone is definitely playing past their bedtime.

Real Estate… But Make It Murder Dungeon A completely normal discussion about moving spirals into haunted basements, sacrifice rooms, hooks in ceilings, and the universal truth: That’s not a red flag — that’s a sick D&D setup.

Edition Talk Without the Gatekeeping Pathfinder vs 5e, skill systems, accessibility, and why some editions feel crunchy while others feel like rolling with training wheels (and that’s not a bad thing).

Aging in the TTRPG Hobby Graduation years, warehouse jobs, college regrets, and the slow realization that everyone at the table is somehow younger than you now.

Season 2 Reflections No one expected a Season 2. Somehow, here we are. Against all odds. No healer. No planning. Still standing.

This episode feels like closing time at the tavern — the kind where nobody wants to leave, but the fire’s dying down and the bartender is giving you that look.

Welcome back, weary travelers, and gather ‘round the tavern table — because tonight’s guest isn’t just rolling for initiative… she’s rolling for DINNER.

This week, Rudy, CJ, and Ciro welcome Jaime from D20 Dinner, the legendary crafter of handmade resin dice and the mastermind behind the world’s most chaotic meal-planning system. Why choose dinner the normal way when you can let a D20 decide whether you’re having sushi, tater-tot chili cheese casserole, or peanut-butter squid sandwiches?

Yes. That last one is real. We’re sorry.

In this episode, we dive into the culinary chaos, dice-making magic, partner-trolling, and Midwest casserole nostalgia that fuels Jaime’s unique D&D-meets-food universe. And yes — we also drool over the Wagyu steak dice, which may be the most delicious-looking dice set ever forged.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

The Origin of D20 Dinner A simple “What do you want to eat?” spiraled into spreadsheets, 12 sheets of entrees, 240 meal options, and a Nat 1 vegan nightmare the world will never forget.

The Best and Worst Rolls So Far

• Nat 20: Homemade sushi & favorite restaurant nights
• Nat 1: Mystery Vegan Disaster Meal (so bad they made frozen pizza as a backup)
• Surprise Win: Chili Cheese Dog Tater Tot Casserole — a tavern classic is born

The Chaos Rolls Continue Followers contribute recipes, cultures collide on the spreadsheet, and suddenly you’re learning whether blackened tilapia is a blessing or a curse.

How Dice Meal Planning Became a Wholesome Journey From overcoming picky eating to trying dishes from around the world suggested by fans — all powered by dice.

Handmade Dice Crafting Magic Including the now-iconic Wagyu steak dice, inspired by a character named Arbiptholomew whose life mission was basically… inventing Arby’s in a fantasy world.

Food Talk Goes Off the Rails Hot sauce shrines, jalapeño bases, casserole trauma, sushi enlightenment, and why Midwesterners can turn anything into a bake.

Future Projects Jaime shares plans for class-themed cookbooks, like:

• Barbarian Cookbook: Meat.
• Cleric Cookbook: Soups & soul-healing foods
• Druid Cookbook: Carrots and vibes

This episode is equal parts wholesome, hilarious, hungry, and absolutely unhinged — a perfect fit for the tavern.