Finding Atoria
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.
Nights At a Round Table: Discussing Pendragon and It’s Influence
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Welcome Back to the Table! On this episode, Malcolm solo-dives into one of tabletop gaming's true hidden masterpieces by exploring the remarkable parallels between Pendragon and the Crusader Kings video game series. While they appear to belong to different genres, both games share a common design philosophy centered on dynasty, legacy, honor, and the passage of time rather than individual heroics. Malcolm examines how Pendragon pioneered mechanics decades ahead of their time, from personality traits and emotional motivations to inheritance...
Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Thin-Bloods & Caitiff
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Welcome Back to the Table!! Not every Kindred fits neatly into one of the great clans. In the final installment of our Vampire: The Masquerade – A Beginner's Guide to Clans series, Malcolm and Arcadia explore two of the most misunderstood groups in the World of Darkness: Thin-Bloods and Caitiff. What does it mean to be clanless? How are Caitiff different from Thin-Bloods? Why do so many Kindred fear or reject them? We discuss the lore, mechanics, and storytelling opportunities behind these outcasts, separating common misconceptions from established canon and examining why these vampires ca...
Leviathan Rising: Our First Look at Gen Con 2026's Newest TTRPG
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Welcome Back to the Table! In this episode, Malcolm, Tori, and Arcadia sit down to talk about our pre-debut sneak peek at Leviathan Rising, the brand-new TTRPG debuting at Gen Con 2026 from OddFish Games. We had the opportunity to play the game alongside our friend Chuck in a session run by its creator, Dr. Christina Stisso, and we couldn't wait to share our thoughts. We discuss what makes Leviathan Rising stand out, how its narrative-first design...
We’re Getting Our Con On! – Convention Visits and BIG NEWS!!
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Arcadia and Malcolm sit down for some Convention talk. We share a discussion about Arcadia’s recent attendance at the ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago IL. Arcadia got a wonderful look into some of the people and initiatives that are leveraging TTRPG tools, strategy and access to bring value to libraries and their patrons across the world. She introduces me to Lex Lower of Common Quest Creative whose work in TTRPG inclusion, reformatting and education is truly inspi...
The World Around Your Table: Travel Inspiration for TTRPGs
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Jess joins Arcadia and Malcolm for a discussion about travel. The crew shares stories of how getting out and seeing the world can bring huge inspiration to the games at your table. Arcadia discusses the beauty and history of Bordeaux where on a recent trips she found inspiration in all places for her games. From the people to wine culture and the ancient architecture, she found a fountain of sights, steps and tastes to add flavor to characters, game play and world building. After the bre...
Mental Health through TTRPG’s & GenCon’s Trade Day
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Tori leads Arcadia and Malcolm through a conversation on the emerging data and discussions on mental health applications for TTRPG’s. More research and study in using these games as vessels for skill building, alternative social redirection, therapeutic exploration is happening now than ever before and the FA team brings some of the stories and numbers that support our belief in the potential of our community and hobby in serious healing. After a break, we take a look at a less lauded but no less impo...
Finding Relationships and Health at the Table: Benefits of TTRPGs Revisited
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week FA gets back into the conversation about how the TTRPG community and hobby space are being used by many, including adults to find, form and grow meaningful relationships. The unique setting, collaborative and repetitive interactions of playing at the table reveal strong, safe and lasting friendships for many gamers. The newest generation also finds the hobby a safe and preferable alternative to traditional dating circles and methods. After the break, Arcadia drills down to some of the specific work being done in showing social and be...
Antici…pation at the Table! New TTRPG and Game Trends
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18. Antici…pation at the Table! New TTRPG and Game Trends
Welcome Back to the Table! This week Tori, Malcolm and Arcadia gather to discuss what lies on the horizon in the TTRPG market as we prepare for a new GenCon season. Tori starts off with some of the bigger names in the industry making moves with game additions and releases. She lets us know who will be having big releases and presences at this year’s convention. After the break, Malcolm compiles some Indie game release...
Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring The Ministry & Clan Lasombra
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week we dive back into the World of Darkness to offer a beginner’s guide to two more factions of VTM lore. First, Tori breaks down the Setite offshoot of The Ministry. A vampiric plague of sorts, spreading the corruption of sin throughout modern nights. With roots and relation to the followers of Set, this group of kindred sew malice and vice through the Anarchs and have terrifying reptilian powers. After the break, Arcadia gives us a beginners guide to Clan Lasbombra, a hierarchical meritocracy where only...
Generational Atoria: Family Dynamics At The Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Arcadia sits down with Tori and Malcolm for another look at a couple Atorian Legends. The tables turn a bit as Malcolm introduces us to his First Gen Hero of the Crossroads, Draville Goldblade. We learn some of the early experiences and game moments that brought the party’s Dipshit in a Can from the rough brothel bouncer life to the throne room. After the break, Tori explains the epic moment she introduced the table to Riya Goldblade, Draville’s long lost teen daughter. In game, it...
Founding Atoria: First Gen Table Talk
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Malcolm gets the opportunity to interview his cohosts, Tori and Arcadia about their First Generation PC’s in Atoria. We peel back the curtain have a conversation about how two of the original Heroes of the Crossroads came to be, what shaped their roles and Atoria and what is left in the legacies fo these two Atorian Legends. Arcadia introduces us to Edrie Graf, the dual classed fighter mage who’s name is a mantle passed down to those worthy in her lineage. Tori tells the ta...
From the Library to Your Table: D&D Sourcebook Reviews
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Welcome Back to the Table! Malcolm and Tori have broken into the studio for more unsupervised shenanigans. This week the two trade book reviews and get into very different Dungeons and Dragons source materials. Malcolm wins the roll off and defers to Tori, who is only too happy to discuss Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. A great resource book alive with subclasses, lore, character creation methods and sweet-sweet tables. There’s alot you can learn from a Criminal Mastermind Beholder! After the break, Malcolm takes us back to the creat...
Daggerheart – Revisiting Darrington’s Big Gamble, With Hope and Fear
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Welcome Back to the Table! Tori and Malcolm are in the studio today to check back in with a game that our table and studio bought into the hype for. Almost a year in, we revisit the Darrington Press/Critical Role Narrative TTRPG. We look at how it landed, how it splashed and where it has gone since. Malcolm and Tori revisit why the game was such a scene when it hit shelves, what got it to that status and what staying power the game itself has outside of the spotlight of it’...
More TTRPGs Please: Games We Want to Play at the Table.
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Welcome Back to the Table! Don’t adjust your podcast, that is just one of our Birthday Girls, Jess, who is stepping in to moderate this week’s episode! We celebrate the birthdays of both Jess and Arcadia in fun look into the games that we are looking forward to playing. Tori, Arcadia and Malcolm give a title they can wait to get their hands on at the table. No spoilers here but the variety is pretty interesting and the games all sound fantastic. Dive in and join the FA crew as we pitch...
Starting Again: Spending time with The D&D 5.5 Starter Set
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week we get to spend some time with a full studio (hooray!) and talk a little about the experience Arcadia and Jess had running the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set for Dungeons and Dragons 5e. We get different perspectives on both playing in and running a game set in the starter campaign as well as dive a little into the differences in experience for seasoned and new players. The team agrees that it is an accessible introduction to the game for new players while getting t...
MISSING!!: Tips and Tricks for Absences at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Malcolm is alone in the studio for an episode dealing with absences in your TTRPG group. Everyone has dealt with and most likely been an absent player or two at the table. What can send GMs into panic and cause disruptions in your game, doesn’t have. We take a look at the nature of missing games, the likely and the underlying causes and give you the gamer ideas for how to handle these inevitable events at your table. We find that as with most thing...
Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Ravnos & Hecata
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week we continue our VTM Beginner’s Guide to clans while sending healing potions to Arcadia and missing Jess at the table. That’s right, somebody didn’t read the memo and left Tori and Malcolm unsupervised on the mics. Tori brings us the world of the Ravnos, a rare and mysterious find in modern nights. These Kindred work outside of the social realms of other Vampires and decimated to low numbers, have been cursed with the need to move from one place to another, making feeding...
TTRPG Stories and Scripted Media – Game Tools for Storytelling at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! We are down one Tori for today’s discussion on telling stories. But Arcadia, Jess and Malcolm peel back the story teller role in both sets of media. We look at the audiences, similarities and differences in scripted media production vs the chaotic collaborative storytelling found in most TTRPG experiences. What advantages a scripted media piece has in its message interpretation and when telling your story at a table as a GM can turn your players into unwilling cast members. Where is the intersection, what are the risks a...
Get to Know Your Atorians – Just Chatting Around the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! Tori is downing health potions and is missed today. Settle in for a fun and telling chat with Malcolm, Arcadia and Jess. Far from the hard hitting, serious interview topics, today the group keeps it light and Funcilitates good conversation. We discuss a little about them as GMs and Players and then jump into the people at our table with less than deep questions and hypotheticals. We discuss what player tendencies we find challenging beyond the screen and try applying some D&D classes on ourselves. A simpl...
TTRPG Source Materials: Hitting the Books at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! We are letting our inner Book-Goblins out today! Join Arcadia, Malcolm, Tori and Jess for a look at some old school tomes from our library of tomes. Today Tori opens up with a little compare and contrast on two sources for everything from little minions to BBEGs. The stories behind the releases and inclusions of both the Monster Manual for AD&D and subsequently, the Fiend Folio follow all the delicious twists and turns that a 1980’s TSR publishing effort...
Discworld: Adventures In Anhk-Morpork: Narrative Satire At the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! Today Arcadia, Tori, Malcolm and Jess sit down to discuss the Terry Pratchett Disc World RPG update as presented by Mordiphius Games. What we know, what we like and a bit on what others are saying about the game. We take some time to step in the setting, nod to the books and media that in doubt influenced the game and explore what, if any niche space the game has in a crowded Narrative Driven IP RPG market. After a break we go further into the art and...
Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Salubri & Brujah
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Welcome Back to the Table! We have a full and festive studio for another dive into the World of Darkness with two more Guides to Clans for Beginners in VTM. Tori Starts us off with the story of the Salubri, an odd duck in Vampire lore. The Salubri were healers whose origins date back to the oldest of nights but their Empathy served to make them a target and continues to be their bane. Many a challenge await those players who embark on the path of the Unicorn, 3rd Eye Feelers of the...
Multi-Class Clowning – Dimensional Characters at the Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! You’ve really locked into a strange one this week! We have a full studio for a conversation (that just about gets going) on Dual and Multi-Class characters, rules and impacts in D&D in contrast to other games and systems. Tori introduces us to her Rouge (and more) who are using the rules of Multi-Classing at the table to progress the character through a specific skill tree, with an end result in mind. Jess tell us of her Wizlock, whose path was forged through the shared story...
Home Brewing Game Settings – Inspiring A World at Your Table
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Welcome Back to the Table! This week Malcolm sits down with Jess to discuss her wildly popular Home Brew Campaign; Japan In Space. This 5e setting is a product of two great loves, interests and fandoms, bringing together a historical age of strife and change in Bakumatsu Japan and the operatic expansive elements found in Star Wars media. More than a TTRPG in a Galactic skin, Jess draws from her knowledge base as an academic who Majored in History and someone who has spent years living in Japan to bring unique cultural and...
Vampire: The Masquerade - A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Gangrel and Tremere
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Welcome back to the table — and welcome back for Season 2! Malcolm, Tori, and Jess return for another Clan Comparison from VTM. Tori leads off with Clan Gangrel, a clan made up of strays and rogues who value strength, independence, and survival above all else. These vampires aren’t interested in the shenanigans of courtly politics; instead, they focus on living their unlife on their own terms. Closer to the Beast than most other clans, the Gangrel truly are a different breed.
Malcolm follows with Clan Tremere. The Blood Mages repr...
D&D Monster Comparison: Adult Blue Dragon
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Welcome back to the table! This week, as we wrap up 52 episodes in 52 weeks, we’re pulling something special from behind the Patreon paywall just for you. Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm come together for the second entry in Tori’s Monster Comparison series, diving deep into the Adult Blue Dragon.
This monster is near and dear to all of our hearts here at the podcast, and we take a look back at the origins of this chromatic staple of monsterdom—from its earliest days as a desert-dwelling ambush...
Save vs. AI: A Real Discussion About AI Bot Usage in TTRPGs
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Welcome back to the table! This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm are in the studio with Jess for a perhaps uncomfortable chat about the predictive elements quickly growing in our hobby space. With no wrong answers, honest conversation sheds light on where using technology as a tool makes sense—enhancing experiences and opening access to TTRPGs.
After the break, we shift the lens to focus on what we can agree we don’t like about AI in general, along with its very real—and potential—risks to the integrity of roleplaying at the t...
Life Path Systems: Turning the Tables on TTRPG Character Creation
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Welcome back to the table! This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm are joined by Jess for a look at Life Path System character generation. Here at Finding Atoria, we’re longtime devotees of stat block roll-ups and ability-score-driven character creation—but the Life Path System (of which there are many) offers a very different way to build a character.
Life Path Systems were popularized early in games like Traveler and later refined into hallmark examples like Cyberpunk 2020. The group weighs in on what we like, what we’re still not sure about...
TTRPG Character Creation: Tips and Tricks for Course Correction at Your Table
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Welcome back to the table! This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm are joined by Jess for a discussion on how to align your character with your taste, your table, and your game. Jess shares great insight into the many aspects of character creation and development—and the occasional friction that can come with bringing a PC to life in your TTRPG.
The group dives into what factors are important to keep in mind when settling on a build to play, while also acknowledging that things don’t always pan out the way...
Vampire: The Masquerade-A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Toreador and Tzimisce
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Welcome back to the table! This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm return to the Clans of VTM. Malcolm moderates as Tori opens with all things Toreador—the elegant artists of the Camarilla. We hear about the pain of needing beauty in your afterlife. Clan Toreador cling to the living world after the Embrace and are often found embroiled in mortal affairs, searching for the artistic inspiration and beauty that can bring a glow back to their dulled, dreary world of undeath.
After the break, we hear Arcadia break down the Tzimisce Cl...
Do You Wanna Build a Tank or a Burglar? How To Build Tank and Rogue Characters in TTRPGs
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Welcome back to the table, and happy New Year’s! This week, Arcadia, Malcolm, and Tori talk about building characters. Malcolm gives us a rundown on how to build a tank, going into detail on creating a not-so-squishy, damage-dealing battlefield controller. Having “taunt” mechanics to draw fire is a big part of tank builds, and the biggest question to ask is always what you want the character to do.
War clerics are a great class that can be tanked out. Heavy armor, Constitution, and buffs are key elements for a strong tank...
Finding Atoria – Behind the Scenes: A Holiday Gift From Our Table
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In this episode of Finding Atoria, we go semi-dark for the holidays. Malcolm spreads some thanks (to you, most of all) and pulls the FA curtain back a bit, letting us listen in on some of the moments we share that don’t make the cut. Malcolm proves that there is never a bad time to be recording with this group in the studio… whether they know it at the time or not!
We hear hilarious (and somewhat telling, lol) conversations about the role of dragons in amped-up Romantasy stories. We also...
Vampire: The Masquerade-A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Ventrue & Nosferatu
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In this episode of Finding Atoria, the crew continues their Vampire: The Masquerade beginner series with a deep dive into two iconic clans that embody opposite ends of power and monstrosity.
Moderated by Tori, the episode explores what it means to play either the polished ruler or the unseen manipulator of the night. Malcolm breaks down the Ventrue—the aristocratic leaders of vampire society who rule through status, influence, and refined control. Meanwhile, Arcadia examines the Nosferatu, the hidden monsters who operate from the shadows, tr...
House Beer!... Is Homebrew Right for Your TTRPG?
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This week, Tori, Arcadia, and Malcolm are all in the studio for a lively discussion on homebrewing your TTRPG—what it is, what it isn’t, and when it shines at the table.
We dig into the wonders of “The Faces of Tori” and find ourselves delightfully lost in sinking fields early and often. Homebrewing is accessible to everyone and can elevate your game, your world, and your table’s overall enjoyment. You don’t have to be a master worldbuilder to effectively homebrew rules, NPCs, encounters, or adapted mechanics th...
Starring in This Space Western: A Tale of Three Star Wars TTRPGs — Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion & Force & Destiny
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"Niima Outpost is that way. Stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north." ~ Rey to BB-8, Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens
Welcome back to the table! Patrick and Arcadia are joined by Jess and Coel for a dive into Star Wars TTRPG madness. We’re juggling three games this week — Edge of the Empire, Force & Destiny, and Age of Rebellion — and somehow, through some cosmic sorcery, it all works together. Mechanics were built to let you play them separately or together, and yes...
Thurs-Con 2025: Our Homegrown TTRPG Micro-Convention, Now With 200% More Gummy Bears
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Welcome back to the table, and Happy Turkey Day! 🦃✨
This week, Tori returns with Arcadia and Malcolm to break down all things Thurs-Con — our beloved, chaotic, sugar-fueled, dice-rolling micro-convention that has officially wrapped its second glorious year.
We take a joyful detour into gummy-bear discourse (as one does), then recap the full Thurs-Con experience: more people, more games, more merch, and way more gaming all weekend long. Watching the “baby gamers” discover TTRPGs for the first time was pure magic — nothing beats seeing new players fall in love w...
Star Wars Edge of the Empire: Session Zero in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
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Session Zero, Character Creation, and Beyond
Welcome back to the table! This week, Arcadia, Malcolm, and Jess talk about Star Wars! The crew tried the Star Wars TTRPG on for size, and there’s just something about that galaxy far, far away that calls to all of us. Jess’s nickname even makes an appearance… Threepio!
As usual, our folks dove right in — and of course, homebrew showed up almost immediately. Character creation was a little tricky, but with any new system, there are bound to be some hic...
Why Not Both: Video Games vs. TTRPGS
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XP Is XP: The Many Faces of Role-Playing
Arcadia, Malcolm, and Jess are in the studio this week while Tori is off gaming at her other table—because let’s be honest, every table needs their rogue.
This episode dives into a conversation that’s close to many gamers’ hearts: video games versus tabletop RPGs. The crew explores what makes each experience unique, starting with one of the biggest differences—the human element. Around a physical table, you can see your friends laugh, react, and connect. Video games, on th...
The Place To Be: Finding Your People at the Local Game Store
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How Local Game Shops Became the Heart of Our Hobby
This week, Malcolm, Arcadia, and Jess dive into a topic close to every gamer’s heart — local game shops! These hometown heroes are the backbone of every local gaming scene.
Back in the day, hobby shops weren’t solely focused on gaming. Model kits and crafting supplies dominated the shelves, while games were often tucked into a small corner with maybe one lonely bookshelf of rulebooks. Jess’s introduction to local game stores came a little la...
A Party to Access: Forging a Better Table
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Welcome back to the table! Malcolm sits down with Rachel Vosgrove and Wesley Magee-Saxton, the founders of Forge Ahead: A Party to Access, to discuss their mission to make gaming more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.
Rachel and Wesley share how their organization works to remove barriers—both physical and social—that can make it difficult for people with disabilities to fully participate in tabletop gaming. From ensuring that gaming spaces, tables, and tools are physically accessible to encouraging authentic representation in game worlds and materials, Forge Ahead is lead...
