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Finding Atoria
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Finding Atoria

Author: Malcolm O'Stephan, Tori Selznick, Arcadia Deschane

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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.  

49 Episodes
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Send us a text 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 d...
Send us a text 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 th...
Send us a text 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,...
Send us a text 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 storie...
Send us a text 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 th...
Send us a text 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, ...
Send us a text "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 th...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 frie...
Send us a text 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 sto...
Send us a text 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 too...
Send us a text Supporting Veterans, One Game at a Time Welcome back to the table! Malcolm and Tori sit down with Jason Cottom, founder of Dungeons & Dogtags, to talk about the power of tabletop role-playing games to bring people together and support those who’ve served. Jason shares the inspiration behind his organization and how it creates safe, welcoming spaces for veterans and active-duty personnel to connect, heal, and grow through storytelling and community. Their conversation explor...
Send us a text Radiance and Random Inspiration: Building Atoria With Oddfish Games Welcome back to the table! In this episode, the FA gang dives into Oddfish Games’ Adventure Engine to help flesh out a mysterious corner of Atoria. This was our first time using the system, and honestly? We had a blast. We put the Radiance deck through its paces to give some backstory to a blank spot on our homebrew map—and ended up with way more ideas than we expected. These cards are an awesome way to s...
Send us a text Another Epic Interview With OddFish Games This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Christina Stiso, one of the hosts of The Epic Adventure Podcast! Christina is a game designer, GM, gamer, PhD student, and Creative Designer at Oddfish Games. She’s also a passionate advocate for inclusivity in gaming and serves as the Outreach Director for Tabletop Gaymers — the folks who hand out those iconic ribbons at conventions, helping create safe and welcoming spaces for everyone in...
Send us a text Are You Ready for an Epic Interview? After months of emails and coordination, we’re thrilled to feature our very first interview: Steve Kellams, host of The Epic Adventure Podcast. Together, we dive into our shared passions for TTRPGs and the power of podcasting as a medium. Steve shares how his background in law enforcement and early strategy war games led him to the table. Combining a love of games and storytelling, he has been informing and entertaining listeners alongside M...
Send us a text The 8 Types of TTRPG Players (And Their Strengths and Pitfalls) Welcome back to the table—this week, the whole party’s here! Tori took us down a delightful rabbit hole into the world of player archetypes that pop up at so many TTRPG tables. Which one sounds like you (or your friends)? StorytellersExplorersTacticiansActorsSlayersJokersGuardiansCollectorsMost players lean into one archetype but dip into others over the course of a campaign. Each type comes with its own strengths ...
Send us a text Community News, London Pub Scenes, and Player Archetypes Unpacked Welcome back to the table! Malcolm kicks things off with some stories circulating in the TTRPG community. Tori, Jess, and Arcadia dive into topics making the news, including recent moves from Paizo and Glass Cannon Unplugged. The group also takes a closer look at London’s TTRPG pub scene—how it fills a niche for both gamers and pub owners alike. After the break, Tori digs into different playstyles at the table. ...
Send us a text Exploring Love, Fandom, and TTRPGs Welcome back to the table! Finding Atoria Studios is packed today for a lively discussion on the rise of Romantasy TTRPGs and their growing presence in the gaming market. Have these elements always been hidden in the gems of our roleplaying games—or is there something different about the current moment? We dive into the stats and mechanics that help romance flourish in games and settings, while also exploring the origins of this wave of RPG-cu...
Send us a text From Ribbet Tongues to Druid Shrooms With Malcolm out this week, Tori and Arcadia dive into a lively discussion about Ancestries in TTRPGs. The rise of the narrative-focused game Daggerheart has sparked big conversations in the community about what makes it stand out for both players and GMs. In Daggerheart, ancestries aren’t just cosmetic—they’re baked directly into a character’s features and feats, carefully balanced through stress costs and resource management. The ancestry ...
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