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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · 2d

Curse of Strahd Episode 7: Now hiring at Castle Ravenloft! Feeling chained to your desk? Make it more than just a feeling, with a career that will last the rest of your life. Maybe even longer!
critical-lit.simplecast.com/episodes/cri...

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 07 - Working Stiffs | Critical Lit

Now hiring at Castle Ravenloft! Feeling chained to your desk? Make it more than just a feeling, with a career that will last the rest of your life. Maybe even longer! In this episode: Chapter 4 (Main ...

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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · 16d

Curse of Strahd Episode 6: What horrors await within Castle Ravenloft? Marionettes, puppets & faceless dolls galore! Surely there's no metaphor here. As long as you never stop running to catch your breath, you'll be fine.
critical-lit.simplecast.com/episodes/cri...

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 06 - Velcome to ze Dollhouse | Critical Lit

It turns out life (and unlife) at Castle Ravenloft is as zany as the town of Barovia is dour. Trade the gloomy mists for the crack of lightning, chanting witches, the clacking fingernails of crawling ...

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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · Sep 10

Chapter 3 of Curse of Strahd reads like a Barovian Career Fair. Choose from: Trapped in Cellar, Doll-like Bride, Buried Father, Ground Into Pie. Or get your degree. You can major in Expectations Management or Accounting.
critical-lit.simplecast.com/episodes/cri...

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 05 - Kids These Days | Critical Lit

It's 10pm in Barovia. Do you know where you children are? Strahd does, and he has plans for them. Or maybe the hags will get to them first. If only you could tear yourself away from these delicious me...

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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · Aug 27

Chapter 2 of our Barovian tour closes with an illuminating look at Vistani leader Madam Eva that should have come much earlier! The Mad Mage is, and Strahd might just be the Demiurge of Gnostic myth. Hylics of the world unite!
critical-lit.simplecast.com/episodes/cri...

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 04 - Gnostic Nosferatu | Critical Lit

Only some listeners will be able to comprehend the mysteries laid bare in this episode. And only some of those will be compelled to pursue the eternal truth. The rest are condemned to a base existence...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Aug 19

2e and 2e Remastered! We played a 1-20 campaign starting in 2e standard and ending with Remastered. Pathfinder 1 is basically D&D 3.75, and we both played 3.5 through the full life cycle.

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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · Aug 13

There once was a peasant named Vlad
Who felt neither happy nor sad
With no soul inside
T'wasn't grim when they died
Though the dirt nap did drive them quite mad

^^^ This is our way of saying that in this new episode LIVE NOW we talk all about soulless Barovians without souls (and much more)!

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 03 - Lacrimo Ergo Sum | Critical Lit

There once was a peasant named Vlad / Who felt neither happy nor sad / With no soul inside / T'wasn't grim when they died / Though the dirt nap did drive them quite mad. In this episode: Lay of the La...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Jul 31

TPT #393: #DrawSteel Review. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social accrue Drama in an extra-long review of @hellomcdm.bsky.social's new #RPG system. We walk you through the classes, ancestries, rules & rewards & let you know if it’s worth buying. megaphone.link/OSPN8564423138

TPT #393: Draw Steel Review by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane accrue Drama in an extra-long cover-to-cover review of MCDM’s new tabletop RPG system. We walk you through the classes, ancestries, rules, and rewards and let you know if it’s worth adding to your collection.

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Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · Jul 30

Our second episode on Curse of Strahd is live!

We talked about the Tarokka deck, the kinda iffy portrayal of the Vistani, the provided adventure Hooks (s/o creeping fog), and Thee Death House

Critical Lit: Curse of Strahd 02 - You Got Fogged

Podcast Episode · Critical Lit · 07/30/2025 · 1h 50m

podcasts.apple.com

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Jul 16

I-Hsien's new podcast drops today! Critical Lit is a cross between a book review and MST3K, a tongue-in-cheek re-examination of classic RPG modules that answers important questions like What is the nature of a predator? and Is Strahd hot or not? He's joined by Dan Dillon, Amelia Som & Sal Tamarkin.

Critical Lit @criticallit.bsky.social · Jul 16

Calling all adventurers, storytellers, and gamers: the first episodes of Critical Lit are available for streaming now! Come along with our hosts as they dive into the good, the bad, and the many spike pits of the original Tomb of Horrors D&D adventure module.

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Critical Lit: Tomb of Horrors

Podcast Episode · Critical Lit · 07/13/2025 · 3h 4m

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Jun 18

Since we recorded this, Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins have joined Darrington Press, which I think gives some indication of Daggerheart's intentions toward DnD. - i

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Jun 18

TPT #392: Daggerheart Review. @wairpodcast.bsky.social host @fkth.bsky.social joins @ihsien.bsky.social to review the new RPG from @criticalrole.bsky.social's @darringtonpress.bsky.social to let you know if it’s worth bringing to your table. #ttrpg
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TPT #392: Daggerheart Review by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien is joined by Fiona K. T. Howat, host of the What Am I Rolling? Podcast to review the new RPG from Critical Role’s Darrington Press. We’ll check out the system, character creation, combat mecha...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Apr 4

TPT #391: #DnD 2024 Final Thoughts and Alternative RPG Systems. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social drop a final assessment of the newest D&D system—and suggest other options for gaming groups that don’t want to make the switch. #ttrpg #rpg
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TPT #391: D&D 2024 Final Thoughts and Alternative RPG Systems by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

With the full set of rulebooks in hand, I-Hsien and Shane drop a final assessment of the newest D&D system—and suggest other options for gaming groups that don’t want to make the switch.

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Feb 21

TPT #390: 2025 #DnD 5e Monster Manual Review. In this extra-long cover-to-cover review, @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social analyze the changes to monster lore, math & design philosophy. #ttrpg
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TPT #390: 2025 D&D 5e Monster Manual Review by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane analyze the updated 2025 Monster Manual. This extra-long cover-to-cover review walks you through the changes to monster lore, math and design philosophy. We’ll let you know how it st...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Feb 6

TPT #389: Responsible Representation and the New #DnD 2024 Monk. @ihsien.bsky.social is joined by @danielhkwan.itch.io of @aznsrepresent.bsky.social to talk about aesthetic & mechanical changes to the monk & how to portray real-world cultures authentically.
megaphone.link/OSPN1327003335 #ttrpg

TPT #389: Responsible Representation and the New D&D 2024 Monk by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien is joined by Daniel Kwan, game designer with credits including Candlekeep Mysteries and Pathfinder 2e’s Tian Xia books and host of the Asians Represent! Podcast, to talk about the aesthetic an...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Jan 9

TPT #388: Playing Lone Wolves and Antisocial Characters—Without Being a Jerk About It. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social discuss how to play grumpy, ornery, recalcitrant PCs, without pissing off the group. And in Gates of Mourning, the party scrubs in.
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TPT #388: Playing Lone Wolves and Antisocial Characters—Without Being a Jerk About It by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane discuss how to play grumpy, ornery, recalcitrant characters—without pissing off the rest of the party. With the right approach, everyone gets to enjoy their bad temper. And in the Ga...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Dec 26

TPT #387: Handling High-Level Magic & Game-Breaking Effects. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social discuss how to run and adjudicate powerful, open-ended magic, artifacts, and technology. And the party reconnects in the Gates of Mourning campaign.
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TPT #387: Handling High-Level Magic & Game-Breaking Effects by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane discuss how to run and adjudicate powerful, open-ended magic, artifacts, and technology at your table. Here’s how to handle the new narrative and mechanical options that come with th...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Dec 13

TPT #386: Comparing RPG Crafting Systems & Building Your Own. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social discuss what makes a robust and fun item crafting system. (Hint: Your game probably doesn’t have one.) And in Gates of Mourning, the party gets grim news. #dnd
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TPT #386: Comparing RPG Crafting Systems and Building Your Own by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane talk about what makes a robust and fun item crafting system. (Hint: Your game probably doesn’t have one.) Plus, how to port over the best stuff to your campaign. And the party gets g...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Nov 28

TPT #385: How to Homebrew RPG Houserules That Your Table Won’t Hate. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social discuss creating table rules to help everyone have more fun & the party reunites with their oldest friend in Gates of Mourning #dnd #ttrpg
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TPT #385: How to Homebrew RPG Houserules That Your Table Won’t Hate by Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours

I-Hsien and Shane talk about how to create effective table rules to help everyone have more fun—and fix issues with your game system. And the party reunites with their oldest friend in the Gates of Mo...

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Total Party Thrill @totalpartythrill.bsky.social · Nov 27

TPT #384: 2024 #DnD 5e Dungeon Master’s Guide Review. @ihsien.bsky.social & @mundangerous.bsky.social discuss the new rules for running adventures, DM tools, magic items & bastions. How does it stack up to previous DMGs & is it worth adding to your collection? #ttrpg
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TPT #384: 2024 D&D 5e Dungeon Master’s Guide Review

Total Party Thrill: RPG Advice From Our Table to Yours · Episode

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