Send us a text

This week in Witherwild, the woods remember more than we’d like and they’re not shy about showing it. The party of one-point-five pushes deeper into Fanewick’s root-choked trails, where ancient trees lean at angles that suggest they’ve seen things and will happily see them again. Beneath the moss and drifting pollen waits an abandoned grove, littered with splintered weapons, a treant’s corpse, and the unmistakable sense that the forest is judging our life choices.

Naturally, the place is crawling with Withered defenders— dryads, treants, and sylvan soldiers — who skipped “de-escalation” day at forest school. Leroy, ever the opportunistic ribbitish rogue, sidesteps the classic “obvious threat just waiting to lunge” setup — not today, moss-covered decoy — and makes a beeline for the real prize: a crimson bloom worth more than some small kingdoms and twice as dangerous. Unfortunately, the grove’s guardians have zero chill about people messing with their centerpiece.

Between dodging chaos elementals and negotiating with entities who think “trespasser” is a term of endearment, he picks through battlefield echoes — Haven army relics, crimson petal trails, and clues that suggest this grove’s story didn’t end with peace treaties. Every choice, from cautious reconnaissance to a straight-up brawl, carves a different trail toward Wyrmhearth Crossing.

We also dig into how exploration encounters can be both combat-ready and mystery-forward, how Withered mechanics add long-term consequences to a single bad roll, and why some of the best loot tables read like the inventory of a magical thrift store.

If you’re into creeping forests, morally questionable botany, or frogmen who treat rare cures like fair game, this one’s for you.

P.S. Karl might be losing his real life spleen and I am not saying we will sell it to the highest bidder as merch.

Download episode content at https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Send us a text

This week in Witherwild, things get weirder, wetter, and wildly more suspicious.
Karl’s ever-committed frogman rogue, Leroy Von Braun, returns—this time with a soggy, starry-eyed child in tow who has done nothing wrong ever. Having rescued her from a serpent-infested river, Leroy has now dubbed her Lyra and is determined to uncover who (or what) she really is. Naturally, this involves threats of sack-stuffing and increasingly unhinged conversations with ghost fish.

Richard leads the duo through a reverse dungeon crawl, retracing the path of fleeing townsfolk back into the chaos they abandoned—collapsing floors, forgotten altars, and one mysteriously judgmental bowl included. Along the way, Leroy tests out various questionable parenting strategies, including but not limited to: Smuggling Lyra in burlap...

Back in Nernwihr, tensions boil. The town's barely holding together, and Leroy’s unconventional approach to urban diplomacy—stealth gardening, insect-based sermonizing, and mild threats of violence—does little to help. Still, somehow, hope takes root.

We also unpack how dungeon design can evolve with player decisions, what it means to reverse a combat encounter narratively, and how Daggerheart’s mechanics support character-driven tension—especially when those characters are equal parts ridiculous and heroic.

If you enjoy collaborative chaos, creepy teeth metaphors, or frogmen on the verge of a parenting arc, this episode’s for you.

P.S. No children were actually sacked in the making of this session. We triple-checked.

 Grab full episode content at: https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Download episode content at https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Send us a text

In this week’s Witherwild episode, Richard guides Karl’s character Leroy Von Braun—a disarmingly earnest frogman rogue—through the first harrowing chapters of Call of the Bloom. What starts as a simple scouting mission quickly blooms into something stranger, and more dangerous, than either of them planned.

• Leroy begins the journey to Nernwihr with a refusal to leave, after setting on his new gardener experence he spends his funds at a local carnaval.
•  After a series of identify theft related misdemeanors his cart requires repairs not fallling for Richard's Traps he mounts his trusty Hippobear into the wilds.
•  At the river crossing, Leroy tries to rescue a mysterious child stranded mid-current. This goes about as well as you’d expect—he’s nearly swept downstream by the undertow, tangles with a glass serpent, and ends up soaking wet, and somehow more determined than ever.
•  We discuss how Daggerheart’s countdown mechanics heighten tension without railroading the players
•  Upon reaching Nernwihr, Leroy confronts the consequences of delay: half the town is aflame, tangle brambles are everywhere, and the locals are one bad rumor away from riot. He keeps the bloomfields from burning—during his stealthy gardening exploits, but did consider letting the world burn.
• We also share GM tips on balancing environmental threats and combat, how to weave a character’s backstory into Witherwild’s living world, talk about shoe gods and countdowns
• Whether you’re curious about Daggerheart’s collaborative design or just want to watch Leroy try to reason with a sentient tumbleweed, this episode is a heartfelt, occasionally chaotic romp through the opening beats of Call of the Bloom.
• P.S. No frogs were harmed in this session despite true efforts.

Download episode content at https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Send us a text

Richard and Karl return for Session Zero of The Witherwild, crafting a new campaign from the roots up and ending with a froggy foray into adventure!

In our second podcast episode, we dive into character creation using the Witherwild campaign frame for Daggerheart, setting the tone for a sprawling, mythic story full of creeping corruption, fractured alliances, and moss-covered gods who may or may not smell like compost.

• Deep-dive into Daggerheart’s collaborative character creation, with ancestry, community, and class choices inspired by the setting's lore-rich factions
• Karl builds a tragicomic frogman (Half human, half Ribbit,) character who—after being killed as part of a scheme navigates politics, death, and being the lord of the fly's.
• Exploration of key Session Zero tools like crafting Experiences, tying character backstories to the political tensions of Fanewick and Haven, and answering worldbuilding prompts together
• Discussion of tone and themes for The Witherwild: cultural clash, nature’s revenge, divine weirdness, and what it means to survive in a world that’s overgrown and under-cared-for
• GM tips on using the Save the Cat structure, Hope/Fear dice mechanics, and Wither tokens to shape emotional arcs and long-term corruption effects
• Introduction of campaign NPC Kreil Dirn, Haven’s suspiciously charming spymaster who recruits the frogman for a shady job after spotting his potential (and desperation)
  • Honest post-game talk about how Daggerheart handles season zeros, how to keep players invested, and the best order to start your games.

Whether you’re prepping your own game or just want to watch a frog dig holes until the government shows up, this episode’s a heartfelt, funny, and lore-rich intro to The Witherwild campaign.

P.S. No frogs were harmed in the making of this episode. Just emotionally destabilized.

Download episode content at https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Send us a text

Richard and Karl venture into the dangerous world of Daggerheart, playing through the official quickstart adventure in a special one-on-one session to test the new game by Darrington Press. 

• Comprehensive overview of Daggerheart's core mechanics, including the hope/fear duality dice system, character experiences, and streamlined combat
• Exploration of the Sablewood Forest and its unique hybrid animals like lemur toads and strix wolves
• Encounter with bandit Thistlefolk who attempt to ambush and steal from our hero
• Visit to the peaceful village of Hush with its magical protective barrier and unusual customs
• Meeting with the eccentric Whitefire Arcanist, a fairy-like being with mysterious powers
• Epic final battle to protect a magical ritual that maintains the village's protective wards
• Demonstration of Daggerheart's death and sacrifice mechanics when our hero falls in battle
• Side-by-side comparison of how this system differs from D&D and other traditional TTRPGs

If you're interested in trying Daggerheart, the quickstart adventure we played is available for free on the Darrington Press website!

P.S, I got the crit mechanic wrong!

Follow along at https://rajkevis.itch.io/

Download episode content at https://rajkevis.itch.io/