Storytelling Breakdown

While the first episode of Storytelling Breakdown debuted in September of 2020, the podcast’s origins go back to late winter of 2019. Ben and Caleb sat at the dining room table in Ben’s old apartment and as the first conversations about starting a podcast were happening, Ben and Caleb were playing Smash Up, the shuffle building game of total awesomeness! 

RPG Decades is a miniseries under the Storytelling Breakdown banner. Each season will consist of ten episodes centered around the same game and story. In the future, this could mean Dungeons & Dragons, Fate Core, Mutants & Masterminds or Monster of the Week. This debut season is all about Smash Up. Each player chooses two factions, such as Dinosaurs, Pirates, Robots, Super Spies, or Zombies, and shuffles the two faction decks together to create their team. From there, whoever can earn 15 victory points first wins the game, unless there’s some Madness involved. Ben and Caleb will explain the rules in more detail. 

Ben and Caleb have also welcomed three of their friends to join them for a round robin tournament. Each competitor will face each other once as Ben, Caleb, Jacob Ganser, Lucas Gerke, and Nicole Rudolph attempt to earn the most wins overall. Our battle for this episode starts with the two Storytelling Breakdown hosts. Caleb’s factions come from Europe, as he’ll lean on the tenacity of the Musketeers and rain fire from Olympus thanks to the Mythic Greeks. Ben will turn to horror as he unleashes a pack of Werewolves. The pack has allied itself with arcane spell casters, Wizards whose magic could turn the tide. 

Musketeers & Mythic Greeks vs. Werewolves & Wizards. Caleb vs. Ben. Let’s find out who wins. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

How is fall damage calculated again? A question that passes through everyone’s minds when the party goes airborne, which is where our adventurers find themselves after last episode. Ada, Delilah, Gorg, Nerine, and Siv are about to board an airship bound for a major city. Unfortunately, saboteurs have other plans for the voyage. How did this play out? 

Ben welcomes Megan Bracker back to the podcast to discuss everything from striking fear into the party, to navigating surprising twists and turns, and finding a way to get a custom subclass into the ongoing narrative. Also, it’s a given that when an extremely cute animal is dropped in front of the party, they will adopt him. Hence the hell hound puppy on the art for this series. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes and campaign diaries at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown Campaign Diaries are hosted by Ben Clemmer and Stephen Stachofsky. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The Adventurers Assemble logo is by Michael Ganser. The Curse of Strahd logo is by Jeremy Stroup. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

The story of Dracula is an epic. It is with that in mind, the Storytelling Breakdown team is bringing you the biggest episode we’ve ever produced. 

Our four hosts stepped into the roles of Dracula and three of the hunters pursuing the vampire for this Halloween episode. The game is an ongoing tabletop cat and mouse dynamic. Stephen played Count Dracula, evading the hunters at every opportunity, while leaving destruction in his wake. Caleb played Lord Godalming or Arthur Holmwood, whose resources were used to their fullest potential taking the fight to the vampire’s deadliest lairs. Jacob Ganser is back on the podcast, this time taking on the role of Dr. John Seward, attempting to crack the psychology of the dreaded undead before he can make more cracks in the psyches of the hunters. Ben played Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula’s feared nemesis, providing the hunters with the knowledge and tools necessary to stand resolute against evil. Last, Larissa played Mina Harker, whose quest to destroy Dracula is also a quest to regain her agency, from the count, the game design, and the original source material provided by Bram Stoker. Will the intrepid hunters succeed in destroying Dracula before his machinations corrupt all of Europe? There is only one way to find out. 

Interview with the Vampire (2022) and Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) are the subjects of this episode’s Spotlight. Caleb and Ben do a Spotlight each year and their conversation starts around the 02:47:01 mark. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

Strahd is the land. While Barovia is synonymous with the dread lord that rules it, this episode will provide an opportunity to get perspective from the characters of our party. 

We’ve gotten a bit of a sense of how Ben operates when playing Jagger, the half-elf rogue. He and Stephen talk about the character design, how and when a player’s kit can be modified over time, and how one key race ability can upend a potentially dangerous combat encounter. Assassins, especially half-elves, can excel at operating in the dark. “I’m so hungry!” A voice cries from the undercroft and our team of warriors descend to battle their first vampire. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes and campaign diaries at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown Campaign Diaries are hosted by Ben Clemmer and Stephen Stachofsky. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The Adventurers Assemble logo is by Michael Ganser. The Curse of Strahd logo is by Jeremy Stroup. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

The Dungeon Master has the luxury of seeing how the world is connected, what plot threads intersect, and the different places the story could possibly go. We thought it was time to get a perspective from someone experiencing the world firsthand. 

Ben and Stephen are welcoming Megan Bracker back to the podcast. She plays Ada Ifindow, the half-elf artificer. The first several sessions were a whirlwind for Ada. Now, back on her feet and armed with a new gauntlet, we’ll hear how Megan built the character and how Ada saw the party’s path from one mission to the next. With the door closed on the Shrine of the Emperor of Bones, Ada and her four companions investigate a robbery, attend a party at a casino, and ready to take to the skies. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes and campaign diaries at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown Campaign Diaries are hosted by Ben Clemmer and Stephen Stachofsky. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The Adventurers Assemble logo is by Michael Ganser. The Curse of Strahd logo is by Jeremy Stroup. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

C’mon, it’s episode #27. 

The first ever episode of Storytelling Breakdown was a dive into the world of Batman. We return to that well today to celebrate 30 years since Batman: The Animated Series first aired on this date in 1992. For this conversation we are joined by Todd Espeland, executive and artistic director at Fort Wayne Youtheatre. 

Batman: The Animated Series has a lasting legacy in part because of its unique art style, blending old and new to create a timeless feel set against backdrops drawn on black paper. The character designs are iconic, pulling inspiration from the comic book source material and creating new stories that would find their way into all sorts of media. The show’s largest footprint now may be the creation of the definitive Mr. Freeze origin story and the addition of Harley Quinn to the world of Batman. 

The voice acting performances are brilliant. The show won multiple Emmy awards for sound design, music, and writing. Original animation cels from the show hang in the Hall of Heroes, where Ben and Caleb visited in 2019 for our season one finale. Todd Espeland was the one who originally recommended the trip. Now, Todd and our team are going to look back at some of the most iconic episodes and dive deep into a show that more than holds up 30 years later. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer is the subject of this episode’s Spotlight. We’ll focus on two lovable characters, Willow and Spike. Our guest is Maria Ward. She is introduced around the 01:07:17 mark. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.

Half of the conversations amongst our team start with, “Hey, you should watch…” 

This was one of those times. 

Caleb encouraged our team to watch Nine, the 2009 musical starring Daniel Day-Lewis. With Nine putting so much focus on the production of a film and the cast, crew, and coordination necessary to pull it off, as well as the protagonist’s doomed relationship with a character played by Marion Cotillard, Ben struck up a familiar conversation, “Hey, you should watch Inception.” 

This episode is brought to you by comparative analysis as Ben, Caleb, and Larissa discuss Nine and Inception. The title of this episode comes from Larissa after watching Nine, “there’s so much movie in this movie.” 

The Black Mirror is the subject of this episode’s Spotlight. Our guest is Chad Chenowith. He is introduced around the 53:16 mark. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

Knowledge of the past to aid the present: Look for a wizard's tower on a lake. Let the wizard's name and servant guide you to that which you seek. 

Holy symbol of great hope: Look to the west. Find a pool blessed by the light of the white sun. 

The Sunsword: I see a sleeping prince, a servant of light and the brother of Darkness. This treasure lies with him. 

An ally to aid you in your quest: A vistana wanders this land alone, searching for her mentor. She doesn't stay in one place for long. Seek her out at Saint Markovias Abbey, near the mists. 

The final confrontation: He dwells with one whose blood sealed his doom, a brother of light snuffed out too soon. 

With these prophecies foretold by Madam Eva, the party enters the Village of Barovia. What horrors will they find? Perhaps a body in need of burying, a reincarnated spirit in a woman unaware of her past life while so many others walk around as soulless husks, or perhaps even price gouging? Only time will tell. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes and campaign diaries at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown Campaign Diaries are hosted by Ben Clemmer and Stephen Stachofsky. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The Adventurers Assemble logo is by Michael Ganser. The Curse of Strahd logo is by Jeremy Stroup. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

Sometimes so go the dice, so goes the story. We pick back up with our quintet of adventurers in the city of Murktown. Ada, Delilah, Gorg, Nerine, and Siv have successfully defeated the Emperor of Bones. What comes next? 

When trying to bring flowers to someone recovering from injuries, you roll a 20 and get a bouquet bigger than you are. Sometimes when you are trying to investigate corrupt city guards while wearing a disguise, you roll a 1 and fall quite awkwardly. Our adventurers brave caverns they know to be dangerous, risk discovery even while invisible, and fight a particularly nasty set of furniture in a magic shop. 

Join Ben and Stephen for this third installment of the Adventurers Assemble campaign. The two discuss getting to know a party when there are few obvious quest hooks, discovering items that might be best left behind, and navigating this final session of level one play. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes and campaign diaries at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown Campaign Diaries are hosted by Ben Clemmer and Stephen Stachofsky. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The Adventurers Assemble logo is by Michael Ganser. The Curse of Strahd logo is by Jeremy Stroup. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions. 

There are four qualifications for a movie to be a legacy sequel. The movie takes place further down the timeline in an already established universe’s continuity. It focuses on new characters, but still has original characters present in the plot.

Does this episode count? We talked about legacy sequels for the first time a few months ago. Now, we’re picking up in the same continuity and Stephen’s experience will drive a significant portion of the early part of this episode, while Caleb, Larissa, and Ben remain present in the conversation as well. Maybe this episode does count as a legacy sequel. Either way, this month’s episode was an excuse for the team to watch a bunch of really good movies. We explored three decades of classics with Rocky, Ghostbusters, and Jumanji. Then we tackled their legacy sequels that have all come out in the last decade, Creed, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Jurassic Park is the subject of this episode’s Spotlight. Our guest is Bill Silkworth. You can find his YouTube channel Mr Movie Lover here, which includes his own video on Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Bill is introduced around the 57:16 mark. 

Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram. 

Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.