Episodic Adventures: TTRPG Module Reviews

Lisa, Jordy, and Sean are out for blood with “Love Bites,” a Vampire the Masquerade story. We discuss vampy vocabulary, political intrigue, well-hidden machinations, and an unloveable lovebird.

CW: addiction, violence, drug use, sex

“Love Bites” is written by Rachel J. Wilkinson and published by Renegade Game Studios.

Vampire: the Masquerade, Fifth Edition is developed by Kenneth Hite and published by Modiphius Entertainment.

Intro excerpt from “Love Bites.”

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

This week, Jordy and Lisa raid the mailbag! We discuss our OSR adventures (of varying lethality), the nebulous world of metagaming, roll-gated information, and GM burnout.

The Mind of Guy

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

Join the party of Sean, Jordy, and Lisa as they take on “Press Start,” a tutorial scenario for Fabula Ultima. We discuss videogame logic: JRPG edition, unlockable character sheets, player synergies, and dramatic boss fights.

Note: The art of Fabula Ultima is stylistically similar to the character portraits from Octopath Traveller and other Square Enix/Acquire JRPGs.

“Press Start” and Fabula Ultima are written by Emanuele Galletto and published by Need Games.

Fabula Ultima TTJRPG: Press Start - Need Games | Fabula Ultima TTJRPG | DriveThruRPG 

Intro adapted from Fabula Ultima.

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

We have a Bluesky now! You can follow us here

This week, Lisa, Jordy, and Sean carve through the treetops in search of the “One-Armed Scissor,” a free starter adventure for The Wildsea. We discuss the uncertain fate of a ship, introducing a weird world, and finding where the journey takes us.

“One-Armed Scissor” and The Wildsea are written by Felix Isaacs and published by Mythworks.

Wild Words System Reference Document (SRD)

The Pirates of Dark Water Opening

Intro excerpt from “The One-Armed Scissor.”

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

Sean and Lisa strike back, this time with a slate of character creation delights! We discuss the Path to Castle Wawa, lezzing out in Boston, and being the possum lady.

Note: Boston being a particularly sapphic city is a misconception/anachronism on Lisa’s part. It stems from the phrase “Boston Marriage,” which refers to the 19th century phenomena of two women sharing a close domestic relationship, often between college-educated and financially independent New Englanders. These partnerships could be of a romantic or platonic nature (though there are some darling love poems in the link above).

Harvest

WPA-13

MEpearl (possum lady)

MandyMod

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

Join Jordy, Lisa, and Sean in the woods amidst the standing stones (wait, are they holding knives?) with “Doom of the Savage Kings,” a DCC adventure. We discuss a series of jerk villagers and mean traps, plus we discover who among the three of us is the greatest player character killer.

Note: Lisa did not run Sailors on the Starless Sea–she ran Portal Under the Stars (which was fabulous).

CW: human sacrifice 

“Doom of the Savage Kings” is written by Harley Stroh and published by Goodman Games.

Dungeon Crawl Classics Free Quick Start 

Intro excerpt from Doom of the Savage Kings.

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

This week, Sean, Jordy, and Lisa have a weird, mysterious, spectacular day in “Below the Shallows,” an undersea adventure from the Studio Ghibli-inspired 5e campaign setting book Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass. We discuss nonviolent solutions, 5e hacks, mechanics grab bags, and the unstoppable determination of players to crack unsolvable problems.

Note: Outside of the four volumes we mentioned, Uncaged Anthology has a fifth book of high level adventures themed around goddesses.

Back Jordy’s upcoming adventure: The Madness of Metronax!

“Below the Shallows” is an adventure included in Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass and published by 1985 Games. 

Uncaged Anthology

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

This week, Jordy and Lisa take on another Sidebar! We discuss how our no-buy year is going, Jordy's omnivorous gaming group, and Lisa taking on the DCC Judge’s mantle.

Note: Sean does not own Slugblaster. We both owe him $5, probably.

Back Jordy’s upcoming adventure: The Madness of Metronax!

Extra Ordinary

FIST 

Slugblaster 

Twilight 2000 

We Shouldn't Be Alive, a Glass Cannon actual play

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

Join the alliance of Lisa, Jordy and Sean as we play to win (or die trying) on “Island 2” in Deathmatch Island, a TTRPG where Battle Royale meets Lost. We discuss point crawls, resource acquisition, quantum mysteries, and m-fing volcanos.

CW: amnesia, mind manipulation

Back Jordy’s upcoming adventure: The Madness of Metronax!

“Island 2” and Deathmatch Island are written by Tim Denee and published by Evil Hat Productions.

Intro excerpt adapted from Deathmatch Island.

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].

This week, Jordy, Lisa and Sean follow the ley lines to “Winter’s Daughter,” an eerie, enchanting Dolmenwood adventure. We discuss setting lore onboarding, writing modules for ease of running vs enjoyment of reading, and the power of a wish.

Note: D&D 5e has four original settings, including 3 Magic the Gathering settings and Radiant Citadel. 

CW: Animal and human sacrifice

Back Jordy’s upcoming adventure: The Madness of Metronax!

“Winter’s Daughter” is written by Gavin Norman and published by Necrotic Gnome.

Intro excerpt from “Winter’s Daughter.”

Theme music credited to Zane Little.

New to the show? Check out our links: https://linktr.ee/episodicadventures

Have gaming opinions or questions? Email us at [email protected].