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Finding Atoria episodes
- White Wolf Takes Back the World of Darkness, and Hasbro Is Crowdfunding — Is it Gehenna or Is TTRPG Business Changing?
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week we’re taking a fast trip through some of the biggest stories moving through the TTRPG community right now. From major changes behind the scenes at some of the hobby’s biggest companies, including Hasbro, Renegade, Paizo, and White Wolf, to upcoming new games, shifting business models, rising costs, and a few developments that could reshape what ends up at our tables next, there’s a lot to talk about. We’ve got six stories, plenty of questions, and more than a few reasons to keep an eye on where the industry is headed.
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png.Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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A production of WordLeaf Media
47 min - Firing Up the Atorian Forge: Collaborative Worldbuilding Is Best
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Welcome back to the table! We have a full studio of Malcolm, Arcadia, Tori, and Jess for an experiment in collaborative creation: The Atorian Forge. There are no prepared characters, adventures, or worlds waiting for them—only a randomizer, a handful of creative ingredients, and whatever the four of them can hammer into existence.
The process is simple: first, the Forge decides what we're building. Then comes the Spark, the first piece of raw material; the Heat, a condition that begins shaping the idea; and finally the Hammer, a complication designed to disrupt everything the table thought it was creating. The result is part worldbuilding exercise, part improv, and part creative challenge—and a process you can steal, modify, and bring to your own gaming table. Fire up the forge and come find out what we make. Tell us what you think of the Nation of Doggelund and the Mysterious Priest Lord Kirk Ole!!
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png.Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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35 min - Leviathan Rising: So, You Want to Build a Kaiju?
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Every giant monster has to start somewhere. This week, Arcadia and Malcolm return to Leviathan Rising with one goal: create a brand-new kaiju that could be dropped into a game. What starts as a conversation about what makes a good giant monster quickly turns into questions about biology, motivation, environment, vulnerabilities, and just how much trouble one very large creature can cause. But creating a memorable kaiju is about more than deciding how big it is or what it can smash—it needs a reason to exist, something it wants, and ways for the player characters to actually interact with the threat it creates. So pull up a chair and join us as we start with a blank page, follow some wonderfully strange ideas wherever they lead, and discover just what kind of monster is waiting for us at the end.
A Quick Note: WordLeaf Media, the parent company of Finding Atoria, is currently working with OddFish Games to help create the Leviathan Rising Player’s Manual. We’re excited to be involved with the project, but as always, the thoughts, opinions, and questionable decisions you hear around the Finding Atoria table are our own.
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png.Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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A production of WordLeaf Media
1 hr 3 min - Vampire: The Masquerade — A Beginner’s Guide to Sects: The Sabbat, Sword of Caine
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Welcome Back to the Table! Let’s talk about sects, baby! In this episode, we begin our new Vampire: The Masquerade series exploring the major organizations that shape Kindred society with a beginner-friendly history of the Sabbat, the Sword of Caine. We trace the sect from the First Anarch Revolt and the Convention of Thorns through its development into a distinct Cainite society in modern nights. Along the way, we break down the terminology new players are most likely to encounter, look at what makes Sabbat play different from Camarilla or Anarch chronicles, and explain how the sect’s role has changed across editions
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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47 min - Dungeon Crawler Carl: Boxershorts and Big Dollars at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm dive into the phenomenon that is Dungeon Crawler Carl. From its explosive rise in popularity to its growing influence on today’s gaming community, we explore what makes this story resonate so damn well with people who love games, characters, chaos, and a good crawl through a very bad day.
We take a look at Dungeon Crawler Carl’s place in the broader TTRPG community, the ways its success reflects where modern gamers are headed, and why the series has become much more than just another LitRPG hit. What happens when a wildly entertaining story starts feeding back into the hobby that inspired it? Pull up a chair and find out why so many people are ready to enter the Dungeon.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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48 min - Roll to Fund: How Crowdfunding Impacts Indie Game Creation
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Welcome back to the table! Tori hosts Malcolm and Arcadia at the table to talk about how crowdfunding has changed the world of indie TTRPGs. Platforms like Kickstarter and BackerKit have helped creators turn ideas into actual games, lowering some of the traditional barriers between a designer and the people who might want to play their work. But as crowdfunding has grown, so have the campaigns and the companies using them. Has crowdfunding created more opportunities for independent creators, or has getting noticed simply become the new gatekeeper? The table digs into how the model has changed, why established publishers use crowdfunding alongside first-time designers, and whether backing a game creates a more invested community.
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.pngRise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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A production of WordLeaf Media
51 min - Leviathan Rising: Creator Interview with Dr. Christina Stiso at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! Dr. Christina Stiso, creator of Leviathan Rising, joins Malcolm and Arcadia on Finding Atoria for a dive into a TTRPG where giant monsters are only the beginning of the problem. Christina shares the origins of the game, why players choose whether they succeed—and then discover what that success costs—how the Geiger Counter drives the table toward Crisis, and why understanding what a kaiju wants may matter more than fighting it. We talk monsters, mayhem, the world of LEVIATHAN, what’s coming with the full game, and put Christina through a little rapid-fire kaiju survival test. If you love TTRPGs, disaster movies, impossible choices, and really, really big monsters, this is one to catch.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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A production of WordLeaf Media
59 min - Opening the Vault At the Table: Patreon Outtakes Unlocked
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Welcome Back to the Table! Well, it was bound to happen. Malcolm’s plan to record B Reel, Outtakes, Shenanigans & Bloopers and put the best of them together for an episode…has happened!! From behind our Patreon wall and deep in the dusty audio files that no one that would make the main feed…we proudly offer Arcadia, Tori, Malcolm and Jess in doing what they do when they aren’t doing…what you hear! Enjoy, make fun, call us out and most importantly, laugh along with the Finding Atoria crew and some of their best moments that didn’t make into episodes. If you love this…and we tell that you do, please consider supporting the show on Patreon to Find More Atoria!
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.pngRise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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A production of WordLeaf Media
25 min - White Wolf’s Next Bite: D&D, Gen Con, and the Future of VTM
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Welcome Back to the Table! Vampire: The Masquerade is having a moment, and this week we’re looking at two very different signs of where the game might be headed. Arcadia moderates while Tori and Malcolm join the discussion as we explore what happens when the World of Darkness crosses over into Dungeons & Dragons, then turn our attention to White Wolf’s Gen Con 2026 playtest and the early conversation surrounding the future of Vampire. From familiar ideas in unfamiliar places to changes that already have fans talking, we dig into what’s new, what’s still uncertain, and why the next chapter of VTM is worth watching.
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.pngRise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Contact Us on Our Socials:
A production of WordLeaf Media
Support the show
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png
Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Contact Us on Our Socials:
A production of WordLeaf Media
57 min - Finding a Table at GenCon: It’s as Easy as you Think
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Welcome Back to the Table! On this episode,What does it really mean to "find your table?" This week, Malcolm and Arcadia return from Gen Con 2026 with a fresh perspective on the world's largest tabletop gaming convention—and it has very little to do with dice, demo halls, or shopping bags. Instead, they reflect on a weekend spent discovering that the best experiences often happen away from the scheduled events: behind Booth 720 with the incredible team at Oddfish Games, watching Dr. Christina Stiso's vision for Leviathan Rising come to life as players experienced the game for the very first time, reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and witnessing firsthand the passion that fuels independent tabletop publishing.
The conversation explores Gen Con from a side most attendees never see. Malcolm and Arcadia share what it was like stepping behind the booth instead of standing in front of it, becoming part of the convention rather than simply attending it. From introducing players to new worlds, to seeing strangers become excited over a game's possibilities, to working alongside creators who have invested years into bringing their ideas to life, they discuss how conventions are built on far more than products—they're built on people. Along the way, they revisit highlights from the weekend, including an unforgettable evening with the Glass Cannon Network's live Call of Cthulhu performance, wandering the endless Exhibit Hall, and even the memorable weather that briefly reminded everyone that not every encounter at Gen Con is on the event schedule.
As the convention halls emptied each evening, a different tradition emerged. Every night became a search—not for exclusive games or celebrity designers—but for an open table somewhere among the crowded restaurants and overflowing hotel lobbies of downtown Indianapolis. Those late-night meals became the backdrop for some of the weekend's most meaningful conversations, where friendships were strengthened, collaborations were born, and the idea behind Finding Atoria revealed itself in the most literal way possible. Sometimes finding your table isn't about where you play; it's about who pulls up a chair beside you.
Join us as we look back on a weekend that reminded us why this hobby continues to grow—not because of blockbuster releases or sold-out events, but because of the people who create, share, teach, and welcome others into the community. Whether you've attended Gen Con for decades or dream of making your first trip, this episode is a celebration of the friendships, stories, and unexpected moments that make tabletop gaming more than a pastime. It's a reminder that every great adventure begins with a simple invitation: "Is this seat taken?"
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.pngRise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Contact Us on Our Socials:
A production of WordLeaf Media
Support the show
https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png
Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Contact Us on Our Socials:
A production of WordLeaf Media
49 min
About Finding Atoria
From the publisher's feed
Three friends, each with 30+ years playing and running TTRPGs sit down weekly to tell stories about the games, community and topics surrounding the Table Top Role Playing world.